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That’s been cited and recited ad nauseam by anyone close to the Cowboys.
But while Bryant and Murray are the biggest decisions, they are not the only free-agent decisions facing the Cowboys this spring that could impact their success in 2015.
Offensively, the biggest tug of war could be at right tackle, where both Doug Free and pseudo backup Jermey Parnell are unrestricted free agents.
Free played in 11 games, missing five because of ankle and foot injuries. Parnell started five regular-season games and two playoff games in place of Free without a hitch.
At first blush, it would seem the Cowboys would lean in Parnell’s direction because he is younger (28) and healthier than Free (31).
But those are also factors that could make Parnell a more attractive prospect in free agency, possibly driving up his price.
What’s also true is that both played well enough to be coveted by other teams. Free has 82 career starts over the past five years. Parnell, a former basketball player in college, could have his best football in front of him.
The offensive line was a huge part of the Cowboys success last season.
Sure the three Pro Bowlers, left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and guard Zack Martin, proved to be the foundation of the line. But Parnell and Free played huge roles at right tackle as well.
The Cowboys need to make the right choice going forward before it is made for them by other teams in free agency.
“I think Jermey played really well and I think a lot of teams will throw on the tape and watch him play and probably a lot of people will consider him a starter,” vice president Stephen Jones said. “So we’ll have to make a tough decision there with Doug and Jermey. Hopefully we’ll at least keep one of them.”
Defensively, the biggest decisions among their own free agents are at linebacker, where middle linebacker Rolando McClain, weak-side linebacker Justin Durant and strong-side linebacker Bruce Carter are all free agents.
Conventional wisdom has the Cowboys signing McClain and moving Sean Lee, who missed last season with a torn anterior crucial ligament, to the weak side.
This would allow Lee to be covered up by the tackle and run around and make plays, while also protecting him by keeping him out of the traffic in the middle.
Rookie Anthony Hitchens, the surprise of the draft after the former fifth-round pick finished third on the team in tackles while getting reps at all three linebacker positions, could easily move to the strong side.
It sounds good, but can the Cowboys count on the oft-injured Lee to stay healthy? He has missed 35 games in his five-year career and has never played an entire 16-game schedule.
Can they count on McClain, if he is signed to a new deal, to also stay healthy? He played through shoulder, knee and groin injuries all season, missing three games.
Owner Jerry Jones blamed it on McClain getting back into football shape after sitting out the 2013 season.
“I look at anything that he dealt with injury-wise as a part of the rehabbing of getting back in the groove in the NFL,” Jones said. “I don’t mean to minimize what he played with, but still all of that has a chance to be better as he goes along and plays. Just a question of having to adjust and being out [of football] 18 months.”
Considering those question marks, the Cowboys need depth at the position, which means they can’t let both Carter and Durant walk in free agency.
Durant was playing the best out of all the linebackers through the first six games before going on injured reserve with a torn biceps.
But he too has been plagued with injuries the past two years in Dallas. He missed 10 games in 2013.
The Cowboys like Durant because he can also play all three linebacker positions. But can they trust him to stay healthy if they bring him back?
Carter comes with the biggest intrigue because has easily been the most disappointing defensive player not named Morris Claiborne the past two seasons.
But the light bulb seemingly came on for him late in the season. He led the team with five interceptions, including three in the last three games of the season.
His linebacker grade against the Commanders in Week 17 was a season high for the Cowboys. He had 11 tackles, two red-zone interceptions, two tackles for losses and two pass deflections in the game.
Carter is young enough and athletic enough to draw some interest in free agency.
The Cowboys must decide how much they value his late-season success or if they are ready to move on after putting so much time into a dysfunctional player.
“That’s an area we have to address and get our hands around,” Stephen Jones said of the linebacker position. “There’s a lot of moving parts on all those guys. We’ll sit down with our coaching staff and our scouting staff and make good decisions.”
The biggest decision in the secondary is a financial one with cornerback Brandon Carr, who has an $8 million base salary and $12.7 million cap figure for next season.
Carr has never lived up to expectations since signing a five-year, $50.1 million free-agent contract in 2012.
The Cowboys like him as a player but aim to get value for that money, which could more appropriately be used to sign Bryant and Murray.
They will force Carr to take a pay cut or be released
The interesting thing about taking a hard line with Carr is that if he doesn’t take a pay cut and is released the Cowboys will be in a pickle at cornerback.
The only sure thing left in the roster would be Orlando Scandrick.
Claiborne has been a disappointment since being selected sixth overall in 2012 and he may not be ready to start the season after going on injured reserve in 2014 because of a torn patella tendon.
Sterling Moore played solid as the third cornerback for much of the season, but he proved to be a liability in the playoffs when he was overexposed.
Stephen Jones readily acknowledges the issues at cornerback.
“I think it’s there,” he said. “We’ve got a high cap number with Carr that we’ve got to look at. I think Brandon has played well for us. I think he played better toward the back half of the year. Certainly we’ve got a situation, obviously, there with Mo and his injuries. We’ve got to look at that.”
So while Murray and Bryant may be the Cowboys’ biggest decisions, they aren’t the only ones as they head into the offseason looking to build on last season’s success.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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