Joseph Randle jaws with Dez Bryant at Cowboys practice, causing Jason Witten to intervene
IRVING – Friday’s practice at Valley Ranch began with Dallas Cowboys starting wide receiver Dez Bryant and reserve running back Joseph Randle jawing back and forth at each other.
After the team lined up for their pre-practice stretching, Randle kept talking. That caused Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who was just in front of Randle, to turn around and yell and curse at the second-year player, “Don’t say nothing from here on out.”
Randle appeared to say something else, causing Witten to turn around again and address him.
“I don’t really feel comfortable talking about it,” Witten said after practice. “We handle it inside our football team. It’s all good.
“There was a small issue and we were just trying to get it to stop so we could move forward with practice. There’s no issues there.”
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett declined comment on the pre-practice flare-up.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours after FOX 4 [KDFW] aired a portion of Randle’s arrest video from earlier this month.
While Randle was being booked at the Frisco City Jail, the Cowboys running back can be heard asking a jail employee if he will be suspended by the Cowboys because of his arrest.
Randle then mentions the prior arrests of Cowboys teammates Bryant and Josh Brent.
“Dez didn’t miss no games for smacking his mom,” Randle said.
“Josh Brent, he’s still up in the locker room,” Randle added. “He’s coming back. … He was driving drunk. That’s stupid.”
Does Randle regret the comments he made in the video?
“I regret saying everything,” Randle responded Friday before declining further comment.
Randle was arrested on a misdemeanor charge for allegedly shoplifting a package of underwear and a tester bottle of cologne from a Frisco Dillard’s department store on Oct. 14.
Bryant was asked after Friday’s practice if the verbal exchange with Randle was related to the jail video.
“Nah, nah,” Bryant responded. “It ain’t no big deal. We got to get on these Arizona Cardinals, man. … It’s all good, it’s all right. That ain’t no big deal.”
Cowboys backup quarterback Brandon Weeden played at Oklahoma State with Randle and Bryant. Weeden said arguments between the two players are nothing new.
“They’re always arguing about something,” Weeden said. “I’ve seen them fight over who is better, [Michael] Jordan or Kobe [Bryant]. When those guys are going at it, I just laugh at it. I’ve been around them, so nothing surprises me.”