Dallas Cowboys Don’t Need DeMarco Murray, But That’d Sure Be Nice

In any walk of life, many people often confuse want with need. They want something they don’t necessarily need. You can also include the Dallas Cowboys in that conversation as well.

The 2014 NFL season saw the Cowboys finish No. 2 in the league in rushing. And as well all know running back DeMarco Murray ran away with the NFL rushing crown on his way to being named AP Offensive Player of the Year setting the new single-season franchise record with 1,845 rushing yards in the process.

So our ‘Boys were fortunate enough to boast an all-time rushing season behind our highly touted offensive line and of course Murray. Dallas would love to have another all-time rushing season in 2015.

But do they need another rushing performance like 2014, or do they want one?

I may be in the minority here, but I don’t think Dallas needs another rushing attack like the one they just witnessed. However, what they do need is a consistent and productive rushing attack. And of course, you can have a consistent and productive rushing attack without another all-time great.

As any self-respecting Cowboys fan should know, Dallas has played in an NFL record eight Super Bowls, winning five. And in all eight of those title games, Dallas boasted a consistent and highly productive, but not necessarily elite, running game. It also helps that Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith played in five of those Super Bowls.

What’s the point?

The Dallas Cowboys don’t need DeMarco Murray, as talented as he might be. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a Murray fan. Make no mistake, having Murray on the team in 2015 and beyond would make life much easier for Tony Romo and Co.

With the rushing attack humming like it was in 2014, life was peachy for head coach Jason Garrett, play caller Scott Linehan, Tony Romo and perhaps most importantly, Rod Marinelli’s group. Without Murray on the team in 2015, these guys might have to put forth a little more effort in their preparation and execution, but that’s why NFL employees are very well compensated.

Now, I will point out, I’m not a proponent of the line of thinking that Dallas could plug and play any running into the starting lineup and not miss a beat. A big chuck of Murray’s success in 2014 was due to his blockers up front, but a larger chunk was simply due to the talent and play of the fourth-year back.

With that said, if Murray is not around in 2015, the running back taking his place will likely come no where near the season DeMarco put up this past season. But that’s the point I’m trying to make; Murray’s potential replacement does not need to put up same type of numbers.

Rather, Murray’s replacement (perhaps Joseph Randle and Co., another mid-round draft pick, Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson) just needs to provide Dallas with a consistent and productive ground game, with the help of arguably the NFL’s best offensive line.

Maybe that’s a mere 1,000-yard back instead of a 1,800-yard back. Maybe that’s 8 rushing touchdowns instead of Murray’s 13 regular season rushing scores. Maybe that’s 280 carries instead of 392 from the lead ball-carrier.

Whatever the numbers might look like, they just need to be productive and consistent and help the Dallas Cowboys win games in 2015. Life would sure be easier with DeMarco Murray and another 2014 rushing performance, but that’s just not how life works sometimes.

It’s starting to sound like Murray will be coming back on a potential slight hometown discount, and this whole point might become moot. The 72 hours will tell us more.

In my opinion, having Murray back in Dallas for the foreseeable future would constitute a want. However, having a consistent and productive ground attack to take the pressure off, maybe without the gaudy numbers, is where the need lies. I encourage you to not confuse the two.