Dallas Cowboys sign free agent RB Darren McFadden

By Cory Buck | Mar 13, 2015

Dec 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly signed free agent running back Darren McFadden to a two year deal.

It didn’t take long for the Dallas Cowboys to find at least one warm body to replace the recently departed DeMarco Murray. Former Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys to help the team address the void left by the loss of the leading rusher in the NFL last season.

Cowboys have agreed to a two-year deal with RB Darren McFadden, pending a physical, per source.
— Rainer Sabin (@RainerSabin) March 13, 2015

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Normally the ‘pending a physical’ part of such an announcement is merely a formality, but with McFadden’s contract, that physical will likely be a sticking point for the Cowboys, who almost certainly will make this an incentive-laden contract with a low floor should McFadden miss time as he had in every season prior to 2014, the first year in which McFadden appeared in all 16 games.

Unfortunately, McFadden was unable to show much during a full season on a desultory Raiders squad. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry while tallying 534 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He added 29 receptions for 285 yards. Of course, the Raiders were a mess up front with a rookie quarterback under center. It’s easy to explain away pedestrian numbers when considering past performances by McFadden.

If he can stay healthy for another 16 games, Darren McFadden can expect those numbers to climb behind one of the best offensive lines in football and that’s what stands at the crux of this signing. The Cowboys have big contracts all over their offense and they can’t afford to put a whole lot of money in the running back position, as we saw with Murray.

The ‘quantity over quality’ strategy makes sense and is surprisingly prudent for a historically trigger-happy franchise. Normally the Cowboys prefer the star names to feature on offense and many had tied them to Adrian Peterson, among other high profile options. Instead, the team is wisely holding firm for now.

As it stands, the Cowboys can roll through a committee approach to the running game while securing Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and its stud offensive line as the true offensive centerpieces.

If Darren McFadden can recapture old form, this will be a steal for the Cowboys, who simply need a decent running back who can hit the holes that will undoubtedly stand waiting for him. Expect Dallas to add at least one more option in the backfield before further addressing its long-term outlook in the draft this May.

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