Litmus test for dominant OL

[TwoDeep3]

julius jones played behind this line?

I don't know if ANYONE can run behind this line but I hazard to say it is best it has been in the run game in a long time and I think we could find another RB if need be as opposed to over paying for a RB who has yet to finish a full season since his college days...if even then.

Not saying the line is the best or worst or any judgment at all. My comment is about people racing to make finite statements of resolution when they have such a small sample to make these statements.

Julius Jones obviously did not play behind this line. But where Jones couldn't, Barber could, so the meaning is clear.

Not all running-backs are the same. But if you look at some of the comments in this thread, and the prevalent thinking is any running back will do. Because as we all know the league is getting away from the featured back.

Yet in the fairly recent history of this team we see not just any running back can do what others do. Since Jones couldn't find a hole on the field at half time, and Barber could power his way through.

Murray is powerful. We'll see about durability. But to assume anyone can run behind this line is premature in regard to both the line and the running backs.

Seems rather obvious, actually.

 

[Doc50]

Not saying the line is the best or worst or any judgment at all. My comment is about people racing to make finite statements of resolution when they have such a small sample to make these statements.

Julius Jones obviously did not play behind this line. But where Jones couldn't, Barber could, so the meaning is clear.

Not all running-backs are the same. But if you look at some of the comments in this thread, and the prevalent thinking is any running back will do. Because as we all know the league is getting away from the featured back.

Yet in the fairly recent history of this team we see not just any running back can do what others do. Since Jones couldn't find a hole on the field at half time, and Barber could power his way through.

Murray is powerful. We'll see about durability. But to assume anyone can run behind this line is premature in regard to both the line and the running backs.

Seems rather obvious, actually.

Agreed.

Look at most of Murray's runs at the second level, and even as he goes through the line -- he has a combination of balance and toughness that not all RB's have. Emmitt had it, and Williams may have some of it. RB's like this do not usually get stopped on the first hit, and maybe requires a double-team. Murray has made a lot of those yards on his own.

Having said that, I would not break the bank to resign almost any RB.

 

[LandryFan]

its obvious the oline is better. but it's also obvious that murray gets a lot of yeards on his own. randle ran good in camp behind second oline. i think murray is a fine rb. the question about a new contract is a different story.a guy does'nt have to be a bum to not offer him a 2nd contract. murray is a fine back but i'm not a fan of offering 2nd contracts to rb's. the only players i offer a 2nd contract are those who are very cheap and super stars. the rest you have to keep replacing in the draft in order to mange the cap

Read somewhere this morning that Murray leads the league in Yds After Contact, so yes...he's gotten a lot of that on HIS ability.

 

[yimyammer]

Dollars to defense please. We are better off taking them compensatory pick we'll get for Murray, which fortunately our GM cannot then go and trade for a bag of magical beans.

lol

 

[noshame]

Troy Hambrick he could be all-pro.

seriously, I like to activate Williams and let him lay the wood to the skins, gaints, and egals in the 4th quarter.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Jerry has a long history when it comes to RB situations similar this and it has not worked out well in almost every case.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Please prove this. Or have you forgotten Julius Jones and the cast of thousands after Emmitt?

Prove anyone can run behind this line.

People here are always so quick to assume things are solved.

we just had our first 1000 yard rusher since Emmitt and people still want to get rid of him

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

we just had our first 1000 yard rusher since Emmitt and people still want to get rid of him

Is Demarco a good RB?, yes. Is Demarco a great RB? Not so sure. If he want's good RB money, give it to him. If he wants great RB money, let him go.

 

[Future]

Every team has a good running back. They're everywhere, and really easy to find.

Keep Murray at a reasonable price, but if someone wants to to dump big money, let them do it, not Dallas.

Depends on what you mean by good.

Jax, Cleveland, NYG, NYJ, SD, STL off the top of my head all lack a feature back.

 

[erod]

Lynch, McCoy, Gore, Foster, Lacy, Charles, Morris, Ingram, Martin, Peterson, Forte, Jones-Drew, Ridley, Johnson, Stacy, Spiller, D Williams, Bernard, Matthews, Jackson, Ellington, Moreno, Tate, Richardson, Bradshaw....

The league is full of good running backs. Murray is one of the best, but there are many.

And that doesn't even include the secondary guys like Danny Woodhead, Pierre Thomas, Fred Jackson, Jacquizz Rogers, Justin Forsett.....

 

[visionary]

At a reasonable price, ok
I just have no faith that this FO knows the meaning of the word
My preference would be to let him test the market and decide if we want to match

Meantime go with randle, Williams and rd 4 or later pick

Rds 1-3 will go to QB, DL, safety, LB (maybe)

 

[sureletsrace]

Lynch, McCoy, Gore, Foster, Lacy, Charles, Morris, Ingram, Martin, Peterson, Forte, Jones-Drew, Ridley, Johnson, Stacy, Spiller, D Williams, Bernard, Matthews, Jackson, Ellington, Moreno, Tate, Richardson, Bradshaw....

The league is full of good running backs. Murray is one of the best, but there are many.

And that doesn't even include the secondary guys like Danny Woodhead, Pierre Thomas, Fred Jackson, Jacquizz Rogers, Justin Forsett.....

Couldn't agree more. There are a lot of very talented RBs to be had.

 

[Setackin]

Please prove this. Or have you forgotten Julius Jones and the cast of thousands after Emmitt?

Prove anyone can run behind this line.

People here are always so quick to assume things are solved.

Julius Jones never ran behind this line, neither did the thousands after Emmitt...

 

[Denim Chicken]

I'm going to laugh if we don't resign him due to the prevalent wisdom that he's not special, RBs are easy to find, and/or anyone can run behind this line, and then we lose an effective and respected running game.

This line of thinking is just another example of a generality that gets repeated so often that it becomes a commonly held belief despite no factual basis.

Last year it was that Murray "runs into darkness" and that "the running game doesn't matter". The year before it was defense doesn't matter as long as you have a potent offense.

I'm not saying that we need to pay him like Peterson, but you hold on to your play-makers. There is no guarantee that you can just replace a RB of his caliber so easily.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Julius Jones never ran behind this line, neither did the thousands after Emmitt...

So tell me why Barber could run behind the 2007 line, which was one of the better lines in football, yet Jones could not.

 

[dfense]

Please prove this. Or have you forgotten Julius Jones and the cast of thousands after Emmitt?

Prove anyone can run behind this line.

People here are always so quick to assume things are solved.

Am I missing something? I dont remember any of these lineman blocking for Julius.

 

[rags747]

So would 4yrs 16m get it done with Murray, I would think he goes elsewhere for more. Thoughts? Also would love to see Murray and Williams as the 1-2 punch, could be a brutally physical running game.

 

[JD_KaPow]

we just had our first 1000 yard rusher since Emmitt and people still want to get rid of him

I don't want to "get rid of him". I want to sign him for 10 years for the league minimum with no guaranteed money. But that's impossible.

I wouldn't scream if they signed him for 3 years for $3-4M per year: basically the Steven Jackson contract. But there's no way that will happen: Jackson signed that when he was already 30. Murray won't agree to it. He'll demand more.

I'd rather let him go than give him a bad contract. If that's me wanting to "get rid of him", then so be it.

 

[SportsGuru80]

I credit the running backs as well... Murray, Randle and Dunbar all have looked good.

 

[BAT]

is when you can make Joseph Randle look really good. Everyone needs to relax on how great Murray/Randle look and lets sign them up for next 15 years. The truth is that anyone can run behind this line right now. Dallas should keep their money in their pocket at RB and take one in first three rounds of draft.

This is exactly what Jerry thought of Emmitt at one time. Not saying Murray is Emmitt level, but even a good OL does not actually carry the ball, or break tackles. Murray is a complete back, which is rare these days. Not a lot of workhorse backs left in NFL.