IRVING, Texas – Rookie running back Joseph Randle smiles when he talks about moving from being an Oklahoma State Cowboy to being a Dallas Cowboy. But true Cowboys happiness will have to wait, as he is participating in this weekend's minicamp on a limited basis due to the cast he's wearing over his right thumb.
"If I had to pick an NFL team to play for when I was younger, I would've picked the Cowboys," said Randle, who was chosen by Dallas in the fifth round of the NFL Draft to backup starter DeMarco Murray.
The chance to compete with Murray, however, won't come for six-to-eight weeks. That's when Randle will get the cast removed following thumb surgery. will be in a cast for six to eight weeks.
"It's certainly a restriction on his thumb, but I think there are a lot of things we can do out here in OTAs and get that thumb clubbed up and he'll get a lot of work in, a lot of valuable repetition," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. And we made that decision when we drafted him. Was he going to be able to be ready to get out here to camp in (Oxnard in July) and not have to make up all the lost time in OTAs? I think he will be."
Much has been made of a potential rivalry between Murray (from Oklahoma) and Randle from (Oklahoma State). Randle says they've only met once, when as a college senior he went on a recruiting trip to Norman.
"We'll push it to the side for now," Murray joked. "But I'm sure once that game (Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State) comes around we'll talk a little bit and hopefully we'll make a friendly wager.''
Murray was the 71st player chosen in his draft, Randle the 151st. So, given those respective pedigrees, the expectations that they might immediately be on the same plane right away seems a stretch. But Randle said being taken in the fifth round provides incentive for him.
"I use my own motivation," Randle said. "I put things on my own mirror at home to let it drive me like that. Grind, keep grinding. A lot of teams passed up on me, but it's all good. I'm just going to try and make the best of the situation that I'm in. I can't really be in a better situation. … Maybe the wait was worth it."
