January, 31, 2014
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
The Dallas Cowboys have 23 players who become free agents after the 2014 season and leading the list of players in need of a new contract is wide receiver Dez Bryant, who should become one of the highest-paid players at his position.
And while the Cowboys most likely will take care of Bryant, there's an issue regarding running back DeMarco Murray.
MurrayThe starting running back is coming off his first Pro Bowl season where he rushed for 1,124 yards with nine touchdowns. He scored the winning touchdown in the Pro Bowl, on a pass no less, and just developed into a solid back.
Murray's problem is health. He's played in 31 of 37 potential games in his career and he's never finished a season without missing something. There were questions about his durability coming out of Oklahoma and it's been proven true.
Yet, do you pay running backs in the NFL?
The answer is no. But maybe the Cowboys take care of Murray from a financial basis.
I'm not suggesting he get a five-year, $30 million deal. No, I'm not saying that at all.
The Cowboys do have a quality player who will be 26 when the 2014 season begins and he's coming off one of the best seasons a running back has produced at Valley Ranch in some time.
The Cowboys could give Murray a two-year extension. With Scott Linehan as the new playcaller, the Cowboys are expected to throw more than when Bill Callahan was calling the plays in 2013. Linehan does like to get the ball to his running backs, however.
Murray is good at catching the ball and making things happen down field. He's not the most physical runner the Cowboys have had in some time, but he can become physical when necessary. He was fined for a hit he placed on a defensive player in the last game of the regular season. Murray isn't fast; he runs in measured paces and allows himself to get directed out of bounds too much. But he's quick and is the best running back on the roster.
Lance Dunbar is a third-down back thanks to his speed and Phillip Tanner and Joseph Randle aren't ready to take over the lead role.
It could be time to address Murray and give him a new deal -- not a big, long-term one, but a short one just to secure the position.
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
The Dallas Cowboys have 23 players who become free agents after the 2014 season and leading the list of players in need of a new contract is wide receiver Dez Bryant, who should become one of the highest-paid players at his position.
And while the Cowboys most likely will take care of Bryant, there's an issue regarding running back DeMarco Murray.
MurrayThe starting running back is coming off his first Pro Bowl season where he rushed for 1,124 yards with nine touchdowns. He scored the winning touchdown in the Pro Bowl, on a pass no less, and just developed into a solid back.
Murray's problem is health. He's played in 31 of 37 potential games in his career and he's never finished a season without missing something. There were questions about his durability coming out of Oklahoma and it's been proven true.
Yet, do you pay running backs in the NFL?
The answer is no. But maybe the Cowboys take care of Murray from a financial basis.
I'm not suggesting he get a five-year, $30 million deal. No, I'm not saying that at all.
The Cowboys do have a quality player who will be 26 when the 2014 season begins and he's coming off one of the best seasons a running back has produced at Valley Ranch in some time.
The Cowboys could give Murray a two-year extension. With Scott Linehan as the new playcaller, the Cowboys are expected to throw more than when Bill Callahan was calling the plays in 2013. Linehan does like to get the ball to his running backs, however.
Murray is good at catching the ball and making things happen down field. He's not the most physical runner the Cowboys have had in some time, but he can become physical when necessary. He was fined for a hit he placed on a defensive player in the last game of the regular season. Murray isn't fast; he runs in measured paces and allows himself to get directed out of bounds too much. But he's quick and is the best running back on the roster.
Lance Dunbar is a third-down back thanks to his speed and Phillip Tanner and Joseph Randle aren't ready to take over the lead role.
It could be time to address Murray and give him a new deal -- not a big, long-term one, but a short one just to secure the position.
