Running back Darren McFadden, a first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2008, will start his career over again as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Changing teams for the first time in seven years has apparently energized the 27-year-old running back:
“It’s great to be in Dallas,” McFadden said Saturday at a football camp at Little Rock Air Force Base, via the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “I’m looking forward to getting on the field with those guys and doing great things this year. … Definitely exciting. I tell everybody I feel like a rookie all over again.”
It also seems that McFadden is taking on a mentoring role with his new team:
“I’m with a lot of younger backs now. My thing is, I just try to give those guys some of the knowledge I know from being around the league seven, eight years now. Those guys are great athletes and great players. I look forward to being back there beside them.”
McFadden and running back Joseph Randle will battle for the starting position once training camp begins. The team will also use a combination of Ryan Williams, Lance Dunbar and Lache Seastrunk in the backfield.
McFadden also indicated that the sore hamstring that kept him from some offseason activities is “doing great.”
If McFadden can find his roots again, the Cowboys will be in a good position. Back in 2010, the former top-five pick put up 1,157 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. However, McFadden has battled injury after injury since then, suiting up for just 70 percent of Raiders games during that span.
Should McFadden be the favorite to start in September, remaining healthy will be key. After all, his talent is obvious when he’s actually on the field.
Photo: USA Today Sports