IRVING, Texas -- There are powerful folks in the Dallas Cowboys' organization who believe Joseph Randle could gain at least 1,200 yards if he started next season.
We'll never know.
Not now. Not after this latest bit of silliness involving Randle. There's no chance the Cowboys would ever consider trusting him with a starting spot, especially since their offense these days revolves around the running game -- not Tony Romo.
This team has somehow created an opportunity to compete for a title in the next three years or so while Romo is the quarterback. They can't take a chance on having a starter unavailable because he did something dumb.
Randle was arrested at in the wee hours of Tuesday morning for marijuana possession in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas.
Even if you've never smoked a joint, it's fair to assume you either know somebody who has or you know somebody who knows somebody who has. Heck, weed is legal in parts of the country, and after politicians see how much tax money they can collect, it probably will be legal in a lot more states before too long.
So it's not like Randall has been accused of some heinous crime, because he hasn't. Just like stealing some underwear and a bottle of Gucci cologne last October wasn't something that would get with him on an episode of "48 Hours."
But it certainly speaks to his lack of judgment.
Although he has done some dumb things, Randle isn't dumb. He realizes DeMarco Murray is in the final year of his contract and there's a chance Murray doesn't re-sign with the Cowboys.
Before this latest incident, Randle had positioned himself to be among the Cowboys' options at running back next season.
After all, he gained 343 yards on 51 carries last season for a 6.7 average and had 11 runs of 10 yards or more. He showed an ability to score from long distance with touchdown runs of 40 and 65 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins, respectively.
He made himself a good special-teams player after being poor as a rookie, and he studied hard so he wouldn't be a liability against the blitz if the Cowboys wanted to use him on third downs.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett actually spent much of last season praising Randle's improvement and his ability to overcome his embarrassing arrest during the season.
Contrary to popular opinion, Randle's latest faux pas will have zero to do with Murray's contract.
The Cowboys know how much they want to spend on Murray, and that's not changing regardless of whether Randle is on the roster when the season starts.
If Murray doesn't re-sign with the Cowboys, they'll either try to sign a free agent, such as Mark Ingram, or use a second- or third-round pick on one of the litany of quality backs that will be available in the draft.
What Randle's high-profile mistake has done is make the Cowboys consider whether a third-year runner scheduled to earn $585,000 is worth the headache.
Would they be better off with practice-squad runner Ryan Williams, who signed a two-year deal with a $240,000 signing bonus at the end of the season, and veteran Lance Dunbar as the primary backups behind whoever starts.
Williams didn't make the team last year, because he struggled on special teams. Like a lot of running backs who were stars in high school and college, Williams never had to cover kicks and punts. As a backup in the NFL, it's part of the job description.
If Williams can make the same kind of one-year improvement Randle did on special teams, then he's certainly capable of taking Randle's job.
Talk to Randle long enough and he strikes you as more of a knucklehead than a bad guy. What Garrett must be wondering is whether he's the "right kind of guy" off the field.
During a conversation the last week of the regular season, Randle said he felt rich and it didn't have anything to do with money.
Randle said he had peace of mind thanks to God. And after all he'd been through during the season, he'd forgotten how good it felt.
Well, it's hard to believe Randle has complete peace of mind now.
He has put his long-term future with the Cowboys in doubt and pretty much removed any opportunity, however small, to start next season.