The Facts: McFadden hates watching from the sidelines on the physically unable to perform list, but understands that's what he has to do in order to let his hamstring injury heal completely. The good news is that McFadden is getting closer to getting the green light to practice, possibly as early as Saturday. "I've been feeling good, man," McFadden said. "I'm just looking forward to getting back out there on the field."

Diehards Line: McFadden said he has no soreness after going through running drills the past few days, including cuts. He will go through running drills again Thursday, and could return on Saturday, following the Cowboys' off day Friday. The training staff wants to see him put consecutive days together before clearing him, which makes the wait drag on longer. McFadden has been projected to carry a portion of the load at running back load, along with Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar (who tweaked an ankle Wednesday). But, if McFadden doesn't recover as expected, it could force the Cowboys to look outside the organization for additional help. Among running backs on the free agent market include Ray Rice, Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson, although executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated Wednesday that they are not looking at bringing anyone else in.