Cowboys Have Moved On From DeMarco Murray, Now Can We?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was on “The Ben & Skin Show” of 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday and one of the topics brought up was, predictably, former running back DeMarco Murray. The conversation started to go around ways the team could have kept Murray.

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One thing Romo said that is sure to catch a lot of attention is that he would have been willing to take a pay cut to have kept the 2014 NFL rushing leader.

"“DeMarco ended up asking me, he was like ‘Why don’t you take a pay cut,’” Romo said. “I was like ‘I will! I would take a pay cut to go do this.’” – Romo"

What sticks out to me is the fact that Murray actually asked the face of the franchise to take less money for him. While Murray may claim money was not the reason he left, the fact that he seems to be the one who brought this up to his friend shows what was really guiding his decisions.

So yes, it struck me as odd that Murray asked Romo to give him some of his money, and it also strikes me as odd that the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in and signed Murray to an insanely huge deal after moving on from running back LeSean McCoy for “cap reasons.”

What is even weirder than that is the fact that everyone is still talking about the Cowboys “losing” DeMarco Murray. The team made a financially smart decision to move on from a player at a very replaceable position.

Well, replaceable when anyone else lets a rusher leave their team. When the Cowboys make a smart move and avoid overpaying, all of a sudden the de-valued running back position becomes a must have and will be their downfall for not having a star.

The fact is the team decided what a running back was worth in their system and wisely resisted budging from that number. Romo said as much later on in the same interview.

"“I wanted DeMarco back, obviously. But at the same time, the team allocates money to positions and things of that nature,” he said. “I think they wanted him back, and obviously a team came in and gave him a great deal. And he deserves to make that decision, too. Obviously I’m saddened by the fact that he’s not a Dallas Cowboy, but that’s just part of playing the game in the NFL.”"

So before we continue to pile on the ‘Boys for being wise, let’s try and remember that Murray has made it through one season in his career healthy, and even then he still had to have surgery. Fans also need to remember how well the last player the team overpaid at running back turned out.

The Cowboys gave rusher Marion Barber a seven-year $45 million deal in 2008. By 2011 he was a member of the Chicago Bears and by 2012 he was retired from the league.

So, I for one applaud the Dallas Cowboys front office for realizing they can replace Murray for a fraction of what the Eagles pad him. While Murray was great last year, I believe he benefited more from the stars around him than they benefited from him.

It will be fun to find out if I am correct, and it will be even more fun when people move on and find something else to discuss.

Next: 10 Burning Cowboys Questions

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