The Dallas Cowboys have spent much of the offseason worrying about and discussing Dez Bryant's future with the team, but another star offensive player is also due for a new contract. DeMarco Murray was the NFL's leading rusher last season, and it seems like he and the Cowboys have not had much discussion about a new deal.
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Running back is becoming an increasingly fungible position, and teams are less willing now than ever to shell out big money for the position because they can easily find capable runners in the draft for a fraction of the cost. And that may be exactly what Dallas hopes to do this year, according to The Dallas Morning News.
There has been speculation since the start of the 2014 season that Dallas may elect to let Murray walk in free agency, and that talk only increased when it became a real possibility that Adrian Peterson will be released by the Minnesota Vikings. Draft expert Todd McShay has another theory, however.
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McShay is very high on Georgia product Todd Gurley, and he could easily see Dallas selecting Gurley at the end of the first round. "He's just an absolute freight train as a runner," McShay said. "He's one cut and go. He lowers his shoulder. He's like Marshawn Lynch. He just breaks through so many one on one tackles. What separates him from a lot of other big backs is, one: his top-end speed. It's an elite combination of size and speed. The second part is his pass-catching ability, which nobody seems to talk about."
Jones was asked about possibly drafting a running back in the first few rounds, and he sounded less than enthused. "I would be guarded," Jones responded, "because there is the ambiguity of, will they play to form? ... There's no question a proven (veteran) running back is more comforting than even one that's drafted high."
Those comments also fall in line with some earlier remarks Jones made about wanting Murray to remain with Dallas. "We want DeMarco enough that I've got some serious flexibility in my [budget]," Jones said. "[We] want Murray for his career as well."
Still, giving a veteran running back a big contract is, historically, a poor investment, so Cowboys fans may want to hope that Todd McShay is correct.
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