DeMarco Murray wants his pay day. After leading the NFL in rushing yards and breaking franchise records with the Dallas Cowboys, Murray believes he is entitled to getting his money. The issue is that big contracts for running backs are simply not there which might make his free agency run difficult. With the market set to open at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, will Murray have as many suitors as he would like?
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, talk between Murray and the Dallas Cowboys stopped over a week ago. Murray's agent has since spoken to the franchise prior to free agency beginning, but the silence was enough to get the running back to delete all things Dallas from his social media accounts. Immediately it was believed that Murray was not returning to the Cowboys regardless of his other offers in free agency, but now that might not be the case.
ESPN has been reporting that Murray wanted to test free agency, but would return to Dallas if the contract offers were on par with what the Cowboys were willing to pay him. Murray turned down the original offer from the team, but is still interested in staying put. The question remains if there is another team out there willing to pay more.
With the running back position becoming less and less valued in the league, money is just not coming for those players regardless of their success. Last season, Knowshon Moreno was coming off career high numbers and could only manage a one-year deal. Murray might find the same hardships. Now too many teams are equipped to take on that type of contract for a player that could very well end up injured or regress in 2015.
The Oakland Raiders are being pinpointed as the projected landing spot simply because of their salary cap space. The Raiders have money to burn and need a running back to help Latavius Murray. Maurice Jones-Drew is retiring and Darren McFadden is not expected to be re-signed. Murray would be a key addition for the team. However, the Raiders also need a top wide receiver to help on offense. Percy Harvin, Michael Crabtree and Hakeem Nicks might be the best options there.
Other teams interested in Murray could be slim. The Miami Dolphins likely cannot take on another big contract. The Philadelphia Eagles might take a look, but only if his contract is manageable. The same can be said for the Jacksonville Jaguars who just signed Julius Thomas. It would appear the Cowboys are really the best landing spot for Murray, but contract demands could cloud his judgment.
