IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys safety C.J. Spillman has continued to play despite an ongoing sexual assault investigation by the Grapevine, Texas, police department.
As Jason Garrett said numerous times, until a player is arrested or charged with a crime, the spot on the roster does not change.
Now running back Joseph Randle has been arrested for shoplifting and charged with a misdemeanor Class B theft of $50 to $500 at a Dillard’s in Frisco, Texas.
“I think you have to be careful with accusations and allegations in this situation," Garrett said when news of the Spillman investigation was reported. “When someone is officially charged or arrested for something, that’s when it becomes a different situation in our mind.”
So now what do the Cowboys do with Randle?
Garrett was clear with his players that off-field issues are not acceptable. Given the black eye surrounding the NFL from how it handled several high-profile domestic violence cases, should the severity of the crime matter?
Attempting to pilfer a department store of cologne and underwear while making $495,000 this year is foolish, and Randle will have to live with that stigma.
Garrett and the Cowboys will have to determine what type of team punishment Randle deserves. They could suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team or simply keep him inactive for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
If “arrested and charged” is the standard the Cowboys have set, then they have to follow through with some sort of punishment.