Murray offered 4yr/16mi

[gdogg24]

Guys, it's a reasonable salary for a RB. Murray's benefiting from the tremendous play of our OL. Who wants to bet that next year, when Murray's on a different team, that his stats are no where close to what he's doing now???

There are good RB's all over the place. Heck, SD just uncovered an URFA from the University of Buffalo.

Oh I'll take that bet Murray for the next four seasons will be money for just about any team he plays for.

 

[Eddie]

Oh I'll take that bet Murray for the next four seasons will be money for just about any team he plays for.

Done. Sig bet for next year.

 

[gdogg24]

That take seems fair.
But Dallas isn't in a bidding war at this point.

5 weeks ago Murray wasn't seen as some RB messiah.
You don't ignore 3 years of history to pay based upon 5 games into a career year.
And you don't bid yourself up.
Murray is VERY VERY unlikely to get better over the next 12 games so you are literally paying him for peak performance.
He is doing not only what he's never done before, he is doing what only OJ and Jim Brown have done before.
So it is by far beyond what anyone can expect to continue.

Murray has every right to turn down 4y/16m but DAL would be insane to offer 30M+ at this point.
If I am Murray's agent I am countering with 5y/25M and saying that is firm or we play out the year.
And I'd angle for 10m of that guaranteed.

That's why I think it's too early to sign him now, I have confidence that Murray will continue to do well but I'd hold off on signing him. He had a couple seasons cut short but he's always played well when he's gotten his shots. This is the first season we've really seen what he could do when the offense is put on his back. Over this season we'll get a better idea of how he holds up. I like your deal as well, 5y/25M isn't bad if Murray proves he can continue to carry the offense this season.

 

[gdogg24]

Done. Sig bet for next year.

Lol cool

 

[TellerMorrow34]

What a moral victory, Mike.

He's still intending to pay age at RB.

Well at 4 years and 16 that's not really anything close to over paying for Murray. He'd turn 30 around the end of the deal and that's only 16. I'd be ok with this but there is no way he's going to take anything close to that.

What I'm hoping for is that when he counters with much higher that Jerry says no way.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Fair enough, but saying that it's 16 times what someone made in the 70's isn't really relevant today unless you start throwing out inflation rates and stuff. Anyway, I agree with the rest of your post

16 million dollars, even with inflation, is a freaking lot of money.

If someone would give me 16 million dollars for what I do I'd be pleased as hell and would retire at the end of those 4 years very happily and set for life.

 

[JD_KaPow]

And by offering 4 years- $16 they're telling me that they have absolutely no interest in the world in franchising the guy at $9.5 mil.

A four-year commitment is radically different from a one-year commitment. Teams have to (and are willing to) pay a premium for a shorter contract. The player's getting less security, while the team reduces its future cap commitment.

For a player where you have low confidence that their value will hold over several years (in Murray's case, because of his injury history and because of the position he plays), you may be willing to pay a lot more on a one-year deal than you would annually on a long-term deal. The beauty of the franchise tag is that it locks up zero dollars of your cap in 2016 and beyond.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I don't see any chance where they franchise him for 9.5 million dollars next year. That would be stupid.

 

[erod]

That's about the right offer. Take it or leave it.

Meanwhile, use him up. Then get another back if you need to.

Running backs are a dime a dozen. Never overpay one.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

It's amazing to me how many people here are bashing Jerry for finally doing the right thing with a veteran player.

There's no argument to give Murray a big extension. "Look at the numbers he's putting up this year" isn't a good argument, because you have to ask yourself if he's going to do that for the next 3 or 4 years. Then and only then is it worth the money, but unfortunately for Murray, history is not on his side.

 

[dragon_mikal]

That's about the right offer. Take it or leave it.

Meanwhile, use him up. Then get another back if you need to.

Running backs are a dime a dozen. Never overpay one.

Flawed thinking at it's worst.

I swear some of you haven't payed attention to this team the last decade.

Good running backs are not a dime a dozen. They do not fall off trees or fall into your lap. If they did every team in the league would have one.

Letting Murray go is one thing but you damned well better have someone who can pick up where he left off. You better have a good replacement and there's so indication that they have that person on the roster right now.

 

[Hostile]

Running backs are easy to find, Elite running backs aren't. We could maybe replicate Murray's production with a combination of Randle, Dunbar and Williams but that would still be downgrading the position. There's a difference when you have running back by committee and when you have that one elite guy. All I know is there's not many of those guys around and even fewer that are right in the prime of their careers and after seeing running back by committee around here for a few seasons I prefer it to go this way.

I think Adrian Peterson is an elite guy. I repeat, my preference is we keep Murray, who is younger, and playing great. But I simply would not break the bank for a RB in today's NFL. Like I said, I've heard there is a college RB that our scouts are very high on. So to me, we are already prepared to move on from Murray if cost dictates it, and a plan may already be in place.

 

[gimmesix]

Exactly right.

It's a far cry from the 7 year $45 mil that MB3 signed for.

Even if Murray signs for 4 years at $20 mil, that's still not close to what Barber got.

It will probably end up somewhere in that range, although Dallas could artificially inflate it to make it look more impressive.

 

[DFWJC]

Guys, it's a reasonable salary for a RB. Murray's benefiting from the tremendous play of our OL. Who wants to bet that next year, when Murray's on a different team, that his stats are no where close to what he's doing now???

There are good RB's all over the place. Heck, SD just uncovered an URFA from the University of Buffalo.

I'm sure he can get way more on the open market and I'm sure this is not the final offer...if it really was the offer in the first place.

But I agree with you on him going forward if he's on a another team. If he ends up with 1800 rushing this year for us, for example, that is not ever happening for another team.

He is playing his tail off though...but he also has a unique situation here in that he has BOTH a dominating oline and a passing game. Much easier to succeed as a RB in that situation. In fact, there are almost no other backs in the league are set up so well.

 

[romothesavior]

Oh I'll take that bet Murray for the next four seasons will be money for just about any team he plays for.

Did you listen to Norm's podcast? If not, you really should. Pretty informative discussion on what happens when you work a guy this hard. I'd bet a year's salary that he's not "money" for the next four seasons. It would be surprising if he was healthy and effective enough to hit 1,000 yards in his next four seasons.

Look, I get that you like Murray. He's one of my favorite Cowboys and I'd love to keep him too. That said, there is no basis for arguing that Murray has four great years left in him. I'd love to be wrong, but the overwhelming statistical evidence regarding running backs, coupled with his injury history, is not in your favor.

 

[erod]

Flawed thinking at it's worst.

I swear some of you haven't payed attention to this team the last decade.

Good running backs are not a dime a dozen. They do not fall off trees or fall into your lap. If they did every team in the league would have one.

Letting Murray go is one thing but you damned well better have someone who can pick up where he left off. You better have a good replacement and there's so indication that they have that person on the roster right now.

They do.

Marshawn Lynch, Matt Forte, Frank Gore, Jamaal Charles, Lesean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster, Alfred Morris, Knowshon Moreno, Mark Ingram, DeAngelo Williams, CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson, Carlos Hyde, Javeon Bell, Reggie Bush, Chris Ivory, Gio Bernard, Zac Stacy.......

They're dripping off trees.

 

[erod]

I doubt any team offers Murray any more than Jerry. He's smart to stay, too, because of the "lifelong Cowboy" aspect and how that will help him after his career.

 

[Cowboys22]

I don't understand fans that by now haven't figured out to beware of players who blow up in their contract year. Yes, Murray has been outstanding so far this year and yes, I'd love to see him in Dallas for another 4 years but up until 5 weeks ago he was nothing more than a solid RB with a worrisome injury history. He is a classic case of a player with a high likelihood of getting a big deal and regressing. For $4-$5 million a year, I'm on board 100% and willing to take the chance, but not for $6-$8 million a year. There are plenty of RBs that can have success behind this line if they feed them the ball as much as they are doing for Murray right now. We've got one on the practice squad I think could do it nearly as well, there will be veteran RBs available next year much cheaper, and then you have the draft. You can find another good RB if someone is willing to pay Murray too much money for one great year. If he gets hurt at some point this year, that $16 million will also be too much for him.

 

[gdogg24]

Did you listen to Norm's podcast? If not, you really should. Pretty informative discussion on what happens when you work a guy this hard. I'd bet a year's salary that he's not "money" for the next four seasons. It would be surprising if he was healthy and effective enough to hit 1,000 yards in his next four seasons.

Look, I get that you like Murray. He's one of my favorite Cowboys and I'd love to keep him too. That said, there is no basis for arguing that Murray has four great years left in him. I'd love to be wrong, but the overwhelming statistical evidence regarding running backs, coupled with his injury history, is not in your favor.

No I didn't but I looked up some of the top backs from the past decade and one thing that makes me think Murray is worth taking into a second contract is he doesn't have anywhere near as many carries as a bunch of those guys had at his age. Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, AP, LT, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch to name a few all had around 1000 or more carries by 25 Murray is at around 600 I think, so yeah four more seasons I'd bank on four more seasons with Murray as a thousand yard back.

 

[ConstantReboot]

The Cowboys have options. They do not have to rely solely upon Murray. We already know the Vikings are going to let Peterson go, and we also already know he wants to come here. If the Cowboys can get him for the same price range they are offering Murray they might let him go test Free Agency and the bigger contract.

I like Murray, especially given how he is playing now. Makes me giggle when I think of the people who were against us when we drafted him. I just feel RB is the easiest position to find a replacement for. Sometimes not as good, sometimes, better. I would prefer it be him, and I wouldn't be at all shocked if we franchised him so he can't leave. I've already heard rumors of a college RB that we like a lot.

The Cowboys do not need to break the bank. I don't blame Murray for rejecting the offer and wanting more, but if he wants too much, I'd either use the Franchise Tag or let him go, gain a compensatory pick for him, sign Peterson to a short term deal, and draft the kid we supposedly like.

I'm all for signing Murray. I think he's a special back that makes things happen. I don't think plugging in anyone will be as effective as Murray. However, if Murray doesn't sign I like this as option B. Peterson running behind this oline would be a huge deal. But anything can happen now and AP might end up behind bars. Nonetheless, it's a good plan.