IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys should get their first glimpse of what Joseph Randle can do on the football field when training camp begins in July.
Randle said the cast covering his surgically repaired thumb will be taken off next Friday, and he expects to fully participate in training camp.
"This was the master plan," Randle said. "Get the work done so I could be full go for the season. That's the most important thing."
Once he gets the cast off, Randle will try to get as many reps and practice as many handoffs as he can to prepare himself for camp. He'll likely wear some sort of a brace to protect his thumb at that point.
"It's not going to be anything that's going to hinder me from doing what I've got to do," he said.
He realizes the Cowboys need him to be ready as soon as possible to improve a rushing attack that finished 31st in the league last year. Randle was drafted to bolster a running back group that struggled after DeMarco Murray missed six games.
Randle doesn't see his injury slowing him down too much entering the season, and he's just excited to get the cast off and get involved in the offense for the first time this year.
"I've been in a cast all year. I'm about done with this," he said with a smile. "I had it off for about three weeks this whole year. Other than that, I've been in it."
Randle is expected to immediately fill in as the backup to Murray, despite his late start after a second surgery to his thumb. He's been on the practice field every day on the side working with resistance cords to make sure his conditioning is where it needs to be before he gets back into practice.
He said it hasn't been difficult staying mentally into the offense and the playbook as he works his way back.
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"I just sit back and watch," Randle said. "I don't have to have conversations to learn. I just sit back and watch and learn from the coach and just try to learn from the other players, like Jason Witten, proven players who have been to the Pro Bowl. It's a lot of great leadership on this team."
