Depending who and when you ask, the Cowboys front office is either full of masterminds or idiots.
They shouldn’t do some things, they need to do others, it’s impossible to please everyone and have every decision be a home run.
Dallas has flaws, just like any team in the NFL, but today we’re discussing a victory of theirs. A pretty big one, if I do say so myself.
Amazingly, it’s already been three years since the offseason in which the Cowboys had to decide what they wanted to do with DeMarco Murray. Leading the NFL in rushing and breaking franchise records was a pretty big deal, but Dallas didn’t know if Murray was the chicken or the egg relative to the offensive line.
Thankfully the Cowboys refused to break the bank, knowing they still had a deal to make with Dez Bryant (that’s a whole different conversation). They offered Murray what they felt was fair, and he chose to take a greater offer elsewhere, and the rest as they say is history.
Allow me to present a story in four tweets.
DeMarco Murray will sign a five-year deal with Eagles worth more than $40 million, per @RapSheethttp://t.co/gKGW5xYSve
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 12, 2015
The message teams are receiving this week: DeMarco Murray still not happy in Philly. Trading him will be difficult, but #Eagles will listen.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2016
Trade terms for DeMarco Murray to Titans: Eagles send Murray and 4th-round pick to Tenn for higher 4th-round pick in this year's draft.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2016
The Titans have informed RB DeMarco Murray that he will be released.
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) March 8, 2018
Details » https://t.co/OE6YTTTPrt pic.twitter.com/gpKcvA9I5T
That whole ride lasted 1,093 days. And in that time span, DeMarco Murray made a lot of money, and none of it came from the Dallas Cowboys.
After 4 seasons that cost the #Cowboys $3.6M, DeMarco Murray reeled in $9M from the #Eagles, & $13M from the #Titans over the past 3 seasons. https://t.co/N4Pz6p8SHK
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 8, 2018
While all of this hoopla with DeMarco Murray went on, the Cowboys had the NFL’s fourth leading rusher in Darren McFadden (2015) and a different rushing champion in Ezekiel Elliott (2016). They upgraded the position significantly and didn’t have to break the bank to do so.
The Cowboys front office makes mistakes, just like everyone else, but they didn’t blink when it came to DeMarco Murray. We’ve known it for some time, but Murray’s release from Tennessee serves as the latest example that they were right. Good job, Cowboys.