The running back position no longer holds the weight that it once did. The Dallas Cowboys know firsthand what it means to have a star running back on the team, but outside of Adrian Peterson, no player at the position is valued that high anymore. Recent contracts handed out to backs in the offseason prove teams are no longer willing to commit to a player for the long-term anymore and DeMarco Murray could find that out the hard way.
Murray enters the 2014 season as the lead back with high expectations. The Dallas Cowboys are trying everything possible to take some of the weight off quarterback Tony Romo and most of that starts with the ground game and Murray. Currently on their third offensive coordinator in three years, Scott Linehan is ready to utilize Murray for however long the team has him. While planning to have a big vertical game plan, Linehan plans on leaning on the run game more so than ever before.
"Things that were done last year in the running game with DeMarco, the running style that was created here is really a good fit," Linehan said via 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. "That's going to be our strength, being able to lean on that running game a little bit more than they have in the past. Obviously, with this offensive line, this is going to be something that's going to help our passing game. The looks that Dez [Bryant] started to get as the year went on, people started giving him the attention that Calvin [Johnson] and Randy Moss would get as far as getting those double coverages. You need to have those other facets of your offense as far as your running game."
Linehan appears to have plenty of confidence in Murray, but he might be the only one. The Cowboys are not committed to the running back. He will be the starter this year, but currently in a contract season, the idea of getting an extension is unlikely. According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, the Cowboys have no plans of giving max money to Murray and might not offer him a new deal altogether. Pairing his injury history with inconsistent stats has Dallas wanting more and Archer suggests a trade could be in the works if not this year than next.
That trade would be for Adrian Peterson who is could be on the outs for Minnesota sooner rather than later. The running back has a contract that is too big of a hit for the Vikings and despite how good he is, the team cannot rebuild with that much money committed to one player. Peterson has already made it known that he would be very willing to head back to Texas and play for Dallas if the team were to take him.
The Cowboys could also make a run at LaMichael James or Mark Ingram if they are not satisfied with how Murray looks. Both running backs are available now and next season. James will still be under contract but cheap while Ingram's fifth year was not picked up and he will be a free agent. The Cowboys need a ground game and they cannot afford to skimp on the talent.
