While the expectation has been that the Dallas Cowboys offensive line while go a long way toward mitigating the loss of last season's leading rusher in the NFL, DeMarco Murray, there has been concern that the players at the front of the line to fill Murray's spot may not exactly be up to snuff. Joseph Randle and recent free agent addition Darren McFadden are expected to get the first crack at the job, but talk has persisted that another addition like Chris Johnson or Steven Jackson could come prior to the end of preseason. Still, while the cupboard isn't as well-stocked as it was last season, to hear Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tell it, there could be some reason for excitement for Dallas fans worried over the state of the run game in 2015.

"DeMarco obviously had an incredible season last year. He's one of my good friends, so the business side of it when that takes place is never enjoyable to watch something like that happen," Romo said, via NFL.com. "At the same time, it's an opportunity for some of these other guys to step in and take a role that's obviously coveted, and I think so far through training camp it's gone pretty well.

"These guys have stepped up and shown some flashes that we're pretty excited about. Now they got to take it and run with it and we'll find out through training camp and preseason how good they really are. You got to give the opportunity to see."

While Randle only has 105 rushing attempts for 507 yards to his name thus far in his two-year NFL career, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn't been shy about touting him as a potential No. 1 back.

McFadden on the other hand seems to be falling behind in the competition already, thanks to a hamstring injury that has kept him off the field. While Jones' recent assertion that McFadden still possesses the skills that once made him the fourth-overall pick is technically true, it's his lack of consistency and inability to stay healthy that has limited him in the past. These issues seem to be flaring up again in Dallas, though McFadden did recently indicate that he could be ready by Saturday.

"I went out there and did a couple of good runs for a few days and I'm feeling good, didn't get sore or anything," McFadden said Wednesday. "I did a little straight-line running and a little cutting, so I got a good feel for it. It's one of those things where the trainers want to make sure I can put a couple of days back to back before they throw me back out there. I'm just looking forward to getting back out there on the field. No soreness or swelling the next day, so definitely a good sign for me." 

In short, Romo's excitement over the "flashes" he's seeing from Randle and Co. may be as much wishful thinking as anything. Last season, with Murray carrying the brunt of the load, Romo posted one of his most statistically efficient NFL campaigns - 69.9 completion percentage, 3,705 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 113.2 rating - and the Cowboys managed both a postseason berth and playoff win.

If the team is to build on last year's performance and an aging Romo is to again perform well, the running game will have to feature prominently in the Cowboys attack.