Cowboys: How DeMarco Murray Could Happen
By Reid Hanson
DeMarco Murray is still unhappy in Philadelphia. Here’s how he could be a Dallas Cowboy again…
It was only a year ago, the Dallas Cowboys were coming off of a 12-4 season with the needle clearly pointed up. The Cowboys were well-positioned, DeMarco Murray’s 1,845 yard season was of historical significance, Dez Bryant established himself as one of the very best, and Tony Romo finally proved he could bring it all together.
Now, one year later, everything has changed. DeMarco Murray is discontent in Philadelphia, Dez is coming off his worst season, and Tony Romo is set to have more surgeries than complete games.
Could it all come back together in 2016? It may be a long-shot but there is a chance. Here’s how…
The Cowboys made a conscious effort to let DeMarco Murray walk in 2015. They rode their horse as hard as any team ran any player before. DeMarco Murray wanted his payday and the Cowboys wanted fresh legs at a low cost. And that’s how it all fell apart.
If both sides aren’t humbled by now, nothing will humble them.
DeMarco Murray may have gotten his money and the Cowboys may have gotten their savings but that’s about all that went right for these two parties.
In 2015, DeMarco Murray tallied 702 rushing yards. That’s over 1,100 yards less than what he gained the season before behind the Cowboys’ top-ranked offensive line. What’s even more telling is that 1,100 yards is more than what the NFL’s #4 rusher, Darren McFadden made as DeMarco Murray’s replacement in Dallas.
If both sides aren’t humbled by now, nothing will humble them.
Successfully rushing the ball is the best protection for an injury-prone QB. The Cowboys can roll the dice on free agency and/or the draft – or if they think last season was good enough, they could stick to McFadden. But if there was a way to reunite with DeMarco Murray, wouldn’t it be worth exploring?
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With the money involved, this is not a deal that could happen under normal conditions. The Eagles are on the hook for $13M if they trade or cut Murray. That extremely indigestible figure simply is not going to happen. This isn’t an uncapped league like MLB where the a team can just pay off the balance of a player like Josh Hamilton and not feel the pain.
For a trade to happen, DeMarco Murray will have to forego the money due him.
And that doesn’t happen every day. DeMarco Murray will have to give at least half of that figure back to the Eagles and the Cowboys will have to be willing to pay more than they were willing to pay last offseason.
It doesn’t end there, either.
DeMarco Murray will also need to convince the NFL Players Association that this is an acceptable act. The NFLPA is organized to protect the players but they also act in the “ greater good” rather than the individuals themselves.
The NFLPA will need to see giving up on guaranteed money is in the players favor rather than in ownership’s favor.
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This is a longshot. Like a major longshot. But if DeMarco Murray is willing to give up a substantial amount of money, the Cowboys were willing to give up a substantial amount of money, and Philly didn’t want much in return (addition by subtraction), it could be possible.