I initially wrote the following in response to a thread that apparently got deleted before I could submit, so I'll post here for the sake of not feeling as though I just wasted a bunch of time I am getting paid for at work:
Chillax. This is business. The Cowboys are being the smartest they have been since the cap was initiated in the NFL. Overpaying for what players have done and not what they are going to do was a cliche a few years back for the Cowboys. They have finally wised up. If Demarco won't accept what they are offering, fine; but it's not the end of the world or the Cowboys hopes of returning a competitive football team to the field. Furthermore, there are no guarantees that Murray would duplicate what he did last season...in fact, history suggest not only that he wouldn't but that he may actually fall off quite a bit.
The fact that the Cowboys are not making any moves is actually a great sign. True, they may not be competitive next year as a result of the loss of Murray...but I highly doubt it. Consider - Over 1,000 of his yards that he ran last year were before contact. Think about that. I'm not saying the Cowboys will/can replace his production with any RB...but a good to great RB can be found in the draft and we won't be tied to him past his thirties when he has nothing left and the Cowboys can't afford the cap hit to cut him.
Therein has been the issue with the Cowboys of this century. They have consistently placed themselves in situations with players way past their prime paying them way more than they are worth and getting mediocre returns. The release of Demarcus Ware last year ushered in a new era for the Cowboys that I believe will lead them back to greatness, so long as the keep with the program. It might not be next season...but it will happen - it's a tried and true method to building a good to great team in the cap era.
