DeMarco Murray might only be 27 years old, but he’s coming off a season in which he carried the ball more frequently than all but seven backs in NFL history. Backs who receive as many touches as he did in 2014 are typically cursed, and it also appeared last season was an aberration for a player who has dealt with injuries throughout his career.
That’s why it was a no-brainer for the Cowboys to prioritize wide receiver Dez Bryant over Murray, which is officially the case now that Bryant has been hit with the franchise tag.
Murray is now just a week away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. And because he led the NFL in rushing by a 484-yard margin last season, he’s likely to be paid elite money on the open market. But the Cowboys shouldn’t even considering getting in on the sweepstakes.
Again, not only is Murray probably about to decline while playing a non-premium position, but the odds indicate his body will start to break down at a quick rate. He may be an exception to the rule, but he still isn’t worth a long-term investment, particularly from the Cowboys.
That’s because Dallas doesn’t have to pay big bucks to a back in order to have success on the ground. This was the most balanced offense in the NFL last season, which was undoubtedly huge for a team that won its first division title in half a decade. But it was that jacked-up offensive line that carried said offensive attack.
The Cowboys used three first-round picks in a four-year period on offensive linemen who are all now Pro Bowlers so that they wouldn’t have to give monster contracts to running backs. This is the type of offense that can succeed with almost anyone in the backfield, which we received proof of looking at backup Joseph Randle in 2014.
Randle, a fifth-round pick in 2013, averaged 6.7 yards per carry behind that line in his second season, which led all NFL running backs who carried the rock at least 50 times. No other back on that list of qualifiers averaged more than 5.8 yards per rush.
That doesn’t mean that Randle is the answer, but a committee involving him is probably good enough for the Cowboys to sustain themselves on offense, especially as stud linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin (all just 24 years old) continue to improve.
The Cowboys don’t need DeMarco Murray as much as DeMarco Murray needs the Cowboys. And it’s a good sign that the franchise seems to understand that.
