SI: "His absence could wound this club more deeply than it realizes."

[Crown Royal]

Home run speed

the most overrated of all RB traits.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

No, but Dean Blandino and the blunder at the end of the half probably cost us a Super Bowl appearance.

With Demarco, the Cowboys should be weary of handing out too much money to an injury prone player that plays a position with the shortest life span. But who knows, I'm probably a pessimist after this much heart break season after season.

I agree not to over spend. But one bad season of fumbles would be like cutting Romo after one bad season. Not comparing the two but you have read over the years how many times it was "Time to move on from Romo". Yet last season was his best, broken and all.
Even last season there were mumbles about moving on from him.
Murray aside from the fumbles had a great season. The best we have seen since Emmitt. To me that accounts for some thing and I think it does with the team. I can't say that he can't be that good again, no one can. If we can't sign him than younger would be my route.

For people to sit here and say AP WILL get 2000 yards on this team are reaching for Pluto.

 

[Bane]

Home run speed

the most overrated of all RB traits.

Seriously. Especially when your defense isn't the strongest, I'd rather have a running back who can grind out the tough yards and keep the clock moving instead of scoring all wham bam thank ya ma'am. That's why I don't like hurry up offenses....they put your D in a tough position.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Home run speed

the most overrated of all RB traits.

Agreed.

But I gotta say it was pure joy to see Tony D burst through the line and BAM! Off to the races!

Murray ran well at the combine– for one reason or another it doesn't translate onto the playing field... Don't get me wrong, the guy does superbly well in other facets, but the good speed he showed in the 40 has never been there.

 

[xwalker]

They are in the clear in the near future. Carr and Free will be gone. TSmith is a deal. Lee will probably be gone and Dez hasn't signed a long term deal yet. The only guys to worry about in the future are TFred and Martin and they are interior OL and years away.

The cap has gone up 21m in the last years and will proabably go up by another 20m in the next years. Dallas is already under the cash spending floor and sitting out FA won't help them get there.

It becomes really difficult to start projecting the cap situation into the future.

If Crawford has another year like 2014, he will be expensive. Not only Fred and Martin, but they have to pay Leary or his replacement and somebody at RT.

If Carr is gone they might have to spend money on a replacement.

They seem to think Romo is going to be playing for a few more years.

Add in any players that take a step up like Crawford did in 2014 and add in any significant free agents that get added.

I don't think it is a huge issue, but they are obviously managing with the future in mind. If not, they would be going all out with restructures and then would be following that up with a big slew of mega free agent contracts which they've indicated is unlikely.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

good talk. the library lady just tolt me my time is u. . .

 

[TwoDeep3]

They can do less. Period. This year and going forward.

At some point we need better guys than the Mincey's and TMcClain's on the roster if we are going to consistently compete on defense. And that costs money - money that can easily be found by not signing a non-elite RB with elite RB dollars.

I found what appears to be questionable about how you think on Murray. Behind a crap OL and a team that past first, last and always he averaged 5.0 a carry. The results of this offense in 2014 was as much Murray as it was Romo.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Obligatory

I see no relevance in Dave Campo practicing to be a dolphin gynecologist to this debate we are having.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

I see no relevance in Dave Campo practicing to be a dolphin gynecologist to this debate we are having.

Maybe he was better at that than being a HC.

 

[wileedog]

I found what appears to be questionable about how you think on Murray. Behind a crap OL and a team that past first, last and always he averaged 5.0 a carry. The results of this offense in 2014 was as much Murray as it was Romo.

Because no one ever expected him to get the ball before this year. There certainly weren't safeties peaking in all the time or sneaking up to the line on the off chance one of Murray's 5-10 carries for the game was going to happen.

And no, I don't believe he's an elite back. I think he is a good back who ran behind an elite line while an elite WR and TE kept the safeties and LBers from keying on him too much.

You are certainly welcome to disagree and I respect and understand your opinion. I just don't think Murray could have carried a team the way AP has in his career with a crap line, or they would have done it the years before we had a good one.

 

[wileedog]

I see no relevance in Dave Campo practicing to be a dolphin gynecologist to this debate we are having.

It was tongue in cheek, but the point being coaches and players hanging out off the field together has as much to do with winning as dolphin gynecology does.

 

[CF74]

Because plenty think it's a plug and play position. Except the HC, the QB, the Oline and the FO thank god.

It's a huge risk I don't want to take right now. Why mess with a good thing..

 

[Frozen700]

Your risking your other eye.

Hey we both agree on a lot of things.

This 1 thing though, I just don't agree with. Hopefully I'm wrong. My main concern with bringing him back is his injury history, and the fact we ran him into the ground almost last season. We shall see, hopefully you can tell me "Told you so" .....I'd take it, lol

 

[tyke1doe]

The exception to that being . . . Dez?

The Murray disdain. And just the other day we rewarded Beasely . . . is there something goink on I am not aware off? Is there a Walmart parking lot video on Murray or something? Did Murray touch one of Jerra's girl friends? (they are girls and they are friends).
Why the antimosity toward Murray?

Disdain?
No disdain.
We're in a situation where Murray is entering free agency, he may want a boatload of money, and we have options if he doesn't want to give the Cowboys a hometown discount.
If he returns, fine. If he doesn't, I'm fine with that too.
Teams have always moved on regardless the player. We'll do the same if Murray decides to sign elsewhere.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

I want Murray back. Of course dont over pay. But that goes for any player on the team now......!! And thats a good thing.

But , I still draft a RB. in rounds 2-4. With any luck, we lighten the load on Murray, and have a one , two, thunder and lightning, type platoon......and Murrays replacement in a few years...?

Randle showed promise, but I think he could be upgraded easily....amd it seems like he has problems...

This 2014 team was good becuase the could run the ball. With Romo getting older, we have to run the ball!! Its making this entire organization respectable again.... You can do a lot with an over powering run game...

 

[BigStar]

I get you win now. I'm right there with you. I just don't see our offense as broken. I don't think AP is going to come any cheaper than Murray either.
Why not concentrate on what is broke? Our defense.

Losing Murray wouldn't break the offense but his salary could help the broken D. That's what it really comes down to. You shouldn't draft 3 1st RD OL to only turn around and pay premium money at RB. Resources are being funneled all in one direction but instead of rectifying that problem we are going to double down on that approach? Winning now can include helping the D too. Romo (100 mil.), Dez (tagged), 3 1st rounders on the OL, 2nd RD TE, etc.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Losing Murray wouldn't break the offense but his salary could help the broken D. That's what it really comes down to. You shouldn't draft 3 1st RD OL to only turn around and pay premium money at RB. Resources are being funneled all in one direction but instead of rectifying that problem we are going to double down on that approach? Winning now can include helping the D too. Romo (100 mil.), Dez (tagged), 3 1st rounders on the OL, 2nd RD TE, etc.

All depends on how deals are structured. Since we don't have any idea what was really offered or how it would go down, we really aren't sure we could keep him or not.

 

[Rockport]

I understand the line of thought that says he is a key piece of the puzzle and wanted back by the team. I get that but honestly, I don't really buy into it here. As I see it, all of these guys are Pros and regardless of who gets signed and who does not, you had better not be worried about who gets signed, or not, because next season, you are getting paid on how well YOU play. Don't worry about the other guy, you worry about how you are handling your own business.

The other thing I believe is that our investment in the OL is not worth much if we are drafting 3 guys in the 1st round and that talent only works if you have one certain guy carrying the rock. The idea that the Cowboys make the investment in the OL is to provide the team with the ability to be less reliant on skilled position players. I think this is pretty key in this evaluation. We better be able to run the ball with backs other then just Murray.

Murray defined the Cowboys last year with his physical running style. It's a style that gets other players motivated. That's why coaches and players and me hope he comes back. I understand the health concerns.

 

[Future]

Funny, no one in the FO or on the team agrees with you.

Uh, if the FO didn't agree with that, Murray would already be signed.

 

[KalEl]

We all like him. It is just that the fans here seem to think of him as a one-year wonder. Like anybody else could step in and do what he did last year.

And no he wasn't totally healthy last year. As the story state, he broke a bone in his hand and returned the next week.
If we let him go we will roux the day.

I think you couldn't be more wrong. "It is just that the fans here seem to think of him as a one-year wonder."
Not just anyone could step in and do what he did. But I can list at least 5 backs that would have put up more yds and TDs and another 5 that could match him easily. The common misconception is that Murray made yards out of nothing. Reality is when he didn't have this line he was mediocre at best and his best 2 games came against an awful Rams team. Before this season guys like Terrell Davis made valid points that Murray runs to darkness and far too often turns out of bounds.

I like Murray. However, he's nothing more than an above average back. He has health issues and has only produced once the line improved. He's just not special. That's why he's not worth more than 6 million a season.

Frankly he never played through injuries until his contract year. He was the same way in college too.

The McCoy trade should tell every Cowboy fan how most teams value the RB position now. It's a devalued position that you can generally fix late in the draft.