News: BR: Will the Dallas Cowboys Re-Sign DeMarco Murray After the 2014 NFL Season?

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It’s 1st-and-19, and the Dallas Cowboys are backed up deep in their own territory. DeMarco Murray lines up behind Tony Romo and Tony Fiammetta. Romo gets the snap and gives a delayed handoff to the rookie. Murray shoots up the middle, jukes two defenders and swallows up 91-yards of turf in St. Louis—touchdown.

In one moment, a star was born in Dallas, but could that star burn out after the 2014 season?

Since mid-2011 Murray has been the Cowboys' uncontested starting running back. Now, as he enters his contract year, his future seems unfamiliarly unclear, as Jerry Jones is faced with some very difficult financial decisions.

In 2015, the Cowboys have to extend Tyron Smith and Dez Bryant, a task that might leave Murray on the outside looking in.

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Despite a well-documented injury history, Murray has actually been extremely valuable to the Cowboys. In 11 career games with 20-plus rushing attempts, the Cowboys are an astounding 11-0.

Last year Murray flirted with “elite” territory, as he rushed for 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns while also notching 53 receptions for 350 yards.

Even more impressive was Murray’s impact beyond his traditional stat line. According to Pro Football Focus (premium stats, subscription required), Murray ranked second in average yards after contact (2.71), third in rate of dropped passes as it relates to catchable passes (3.64) and seventh among running backs with a pass-blocking efficiency score of 93.6.

The stats may suggest that Murray is the prototypical all-around back, but that may not be enough when the time comes to make a decision. The evolution of the NFL as a pass-happy league has significantly dropped the running back market, and the draft is becoming the best way to supplement departing rushing production for half the cost.

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Don’t believe me? Ask Ahmad Bradshaw and Steven Jackson.

Running backs are now being used differently. The implementation of spread offenses and change-of-pace backs have made it less desirable to have one highly paid workhorse. Maybe that’s why guys like Maurice Jones-Drew don’t get re-signed and why the top-25 highest-paid running backs in the league have a lowly average salary of $5.4 million in 2014, according to Spotrac.com.

So make no mistake—despite Murray’s recent performance, he remains very much in the cross hairs. He’ll have to prove he can consistently rate among the best running backs in the league to warrant a second contract. If not, Jerry Jones will be glad to draft his replacement.

How does Todd Gurley or T.J. Yeldon sound?

Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com

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