DeMarco Murray had a great season last year for the Cowboys and was a major reason why the team went 12-4 and made the playoffs. Since the season ended, debate has raged about what Dallas should do about Murray, who will become a free agent without a new contract from the team.

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Murray had a historic workload in 2014, carrying the ball 392 times for the Cowboys on his way to leading the league in rushing yards and setting a Cowboys franchise record for yards in a season. That workload is at the center of the debate over Murray's future, as running backs that receive that much work in a season generally struggle with injuries and ineffectiveness in the subsequent years.

The Cowboys have offered Murray a contract in the neighborhood of four years and $16 million, but Murray wants more money than that. Given the likelihood that Murray will not live up to a big money contract (he consistently struggled with injuries prior to 2014), Dallas would likely be better served by trying to find a replacement for Murray in the draft.

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Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle have shown flashes of talent when they have had opportunities, and the money the team would save by letting Murray walk could be used to re-sign some other important free agents like Dez Bryant and Rolando McClain.

If Dallas was intent on having a potential star at the running back position, they could always use one of their early-round draft picks on a back, as players like Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon have received high draft grades. Players on rookie contracts would make far less than Murray will, and they may deliver a comparable level of production, particularly behind Dallas's dominant offensive line.