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Agent's Take: Examining what's on tap for the Cowboys, Dez and DeMarco
By Joel Corry | Former Sports Agent
January 13, 2015 4:38 pm ET
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the biggest surprises of the 2014 NFL season after winning the NFC East at 12-4 to finish in a five-way tie for the league's best record. After falling to the Packers 26-21 in the divisional round of the playoffs, Jerry Jones described the defeat as one of the most disappointing losses in his tenure as Cowboys owner. He thought the team could break the franchise's 19-year Super Bowl drought.
GARRETT'S RE-SIGNING
7 things to know
Jones has rebuilt the Cowboys through the NFL Draft and by exercising restraint in free agency. The five-year, $50.1 million contract (with $26.5 million in guarantees) that cornerback Brandon Carr received in 2012 is the team's last big free-agent signing. That restraint has been largely forced: It has been virtually impossible for the Cowboys to be aggressive in free agency given their need to consistently restructure multiple contracts in order to create salary cap room just to be compliant with cap rules at the start of each new league year.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys, who have become synonymous with unsound salary cap management, are not among the teams with the worst cap situations heading into the 2015 league year, which begins March 10. With more financial flexibility than usual, and Jones believing he has a legitimate Super Bowl contender, it remains to be seen if he reverts back to his old ways with a spending spree on bad, high-priced free agents or if he continues his newfound financial discipline.
Here's a look at what lies ahead for the Cowboys.
Coaching staff
The first order of business is trying to keep the coaching staff together. Coach Jason Garrett, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Callahan and passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, who assumed play-calling duties this season, have expiring contracts. The Cowboys have a short window of negotiating exclusivity, which expires Jan. 15, before the coaches can begin talking with other NFL teams.
Garrett reportedly has inked a long-term deal to remain as head coach. One report has Garrett re-signing with Dallas for five years and $30M. Marinelli, who was rumored to be reuniting with close friend Lovie Smith by joining his Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff, decided to stay in Dallas. Losing Marinelli would have been a big blow to Dallas. He transformed what was predicted to be a historically bad defense into a respectable one during his first year as defensive coordinator. The Cowboys went from last in total defense, 27th in rushing defense and 26th in scoring defense in 2013 to 19th, 8th and 15th in those categories in 2014.
Callahan is reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams. His departure could be inevitable considering he wanted to leave last offseason after being stripped of play-calling duties, but the Cowboys prevented him from interviewing with other teams. Linehan is also a target of teams. He would be the natural successor at offensive coordinator if Callahan leaves.
Salary cap
NFL teams were informed at a league meeting on Dec. 9 that the 2015 salary cap is preliminarily projected to be between $138.6 million and $141.8 million. The actual salary cap this league year is 5.3 percent higher than the preliminary projections this time last year. When the 2015 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to once again exceed initial projections.
During the offseason only the top 51 cap numbers count on the salary cap. The Cowboys have slightly more than $131.07 million in 2015 cap commitments with 41 players under contract while $3.26 million of unused cap room can be carried over from the 2014 league year. Those numbers include Doug Free's contract voiding 23 days before the start of the 2015 league year on Feb. 15.
Once tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players with expiring contracts, and futures contracts for practice squad players are accounted for, Dallas should have approximately $5.23 million of 2015 cap space assuming there is a $142 million salary cap.
Quarterback Tony Romo and offensive tackle Tyron Smith are two logical sources for creating cap room through contract restructures. Romo has the NFL's highest 2015 cap number at $27.773 million. $12.8 million of cap room can be created by converting $16 million of Romo's $17 million base salary into signing bonus. Romo's 2015 cap number would drop to $14.973 million through the salary conversion. Turning $10.2 million of Smith's fully guaranteed $11.039 million 2015 base salary into signing bonus will free up $8.16 million of cap space.
A decision must be made on whether to pick up the option on defensive tackle Henry Melton's contract for an additional three years. The total value of the three years is $24 million and the decision must be made by the 23rd day before the start of the 2015 league year (Feb. 15). If the option is exercised, Melton's $9 million 2015 base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the first day of the 2015 league year (March 10), which would make him a candidate to lower his $9,308,843 cap number through a restructure. There would be $8,382,311 of cap room gained if Dallas passes on the option.
Brandon Carr is a paycut or release candidate because he isn't living up to a five-year, $50.1 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2012. Carr makes $8 million in 2015 with a $12.717 million cap number. Since two voidable years were added to Carr's deal when he restructured for cap purposes in 2013, Dallas would have $12.151 million in dead money, which is a cap charge for a player no longer on the roster. That's only a $566,000 cap savings unless Carr is given a post-June 1 designation or released after June 1.
June 1 is significant because the acceleration of bonus proration in future contract years is delayed until the following season for players released after this date. NFL teams also are allowed each year to release up to two players before June 2 with favorable cap treatment. With this post-June 1 designation, the Cowboys would be required to carry Carr's full cap number ($12.717 million) until June 2 even though he wasn't a part of the team anymore. The Cowboys would pick up $8 million of cap room at that time when Carr's 2015 salary came off the books. The Cowboys would have a $7.434 million charge cap or dead money for Carr in 2016.
Dez Bryant
Bryant earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2014 by posting his third straight season with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdown receptions. He led the league with 16 touchdown receptions. His 41 touchdown receptions since 2012 are the most in the NFL over the last three seasons.
Bryant pulled the plug on negotiations at the start of the regular season when Eugene Parker, his agent at the time, couldn't reach an agreement with the Cowboys making him one of the NFL's top paid wide receivers. Details of Dallas' best offer, which was 10 years for $114 million with $20 million in guarantees and an average of $10 million in the first six years, emerged shortly after Bryant switched his representation in the middle of the season against Jones' wishes. Bryant is now represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation in conjunction with Creative Artists Agency's Tom Condon. The Cowboys are reportedly reluctant to give Bryant guaranteed money comparable to other elite wide receivers because of off-field concerns.
Jones has indicated that he is prepared to use the team's franchise tag on the 26-year-old star wideout if necessary. The wide receiver number should be $12.708 million with a $142 million salary cap. Bryant said he would be disappointed with a franchise tag. He should embrace the concept if Jones' offers don't drastically improve, especially with three-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas reportedly rejecting an offer from the Denver Broncos that would have made him the NFL's third-highest paid wide receiver (above Percy Harvin's $12,843,500 new money average per year and below Calvin Johnson/Larry Fitzgerald's deals averaging slightly more than $16 million per year containing in excess of $45 million in guarantees).
A second franchise tag in 2016 would be $15,249,600, a 20 percent increase over Bryant's 2015 franchise number (based on a $142 million 2015 salary cap). Bryant would only need to sign a four-year deal for a little more than $32 million in 2017 as an unrestricted free agent after playing under two franchise tags to break even with the six-year cash flow in the best deal Jones has offered him. The average of franchising Bryant twice (slightly under $14 million per year) could also be used by Condon as justification for a long-term deal making Bryant one of the NFL's three highest paid wide receivers.
DeMarco Murray
Murray is a legitimate MVP candidate because he thrived in the Cowboys' shift to a run-oriented offense. He broke Jim Brown's 56-year-old NFL record of six consecutive games with 100 rushing yards or more to begin a season with an eight-game streak. Murray bested Emmitt Smith's single season franchise rushing record of 1,773 yards by gaining 1,845 yards on the ground while playing with a broken left hand suffered late in the season. He also tied for the NFL lead with 13 rushing touchdowns and was tops in the NFL with 2,261 yards from scrimmage.
Murray's terrific start to the season prompted the Cowboys to reportedly offer him a four-year extension worth more than the top running back deals signed during free agency last offseason. The characterization of the offer suggested that it wasn't substantially better than the market setting two-year deal averaging $4 million per year (with an additional $1 million in salary escalators) Chris Johnson received from the New York Jets.
Typically, when a player has a dominant season in a contract year like Murray, he becomes one of the highest-paid players at his position. Murray probably won't be able to capitalize on his success as much as he could at other positions because of the devaluing of running backs.
Compensation at the position has been on the decline since peaking in 2012. The number of running backs with veteran contracts averaging at least $7 million per year jumped from five in 2011 to 11 in 2012 thanks to new deals by Matt Forte ($30.4 million/four years), Arian Foster ($43 million/five years), Marshawn Lynch ($30 million/four years), LeSean McCoy ($45 million/five-year extension), Ray Rice ($35 million/five years) and Jonathan Stewart ($36.5 million/five-year extension). Currently, there are seven running backs at or above the $7 million threshold.
The Cowboys may be reluctant to make a substantial investment in Murray because of how running backs have performed historically after an extremely heavy workload like his. Murray's 392 carries were the eighth-most ever in an NFL regular season. He tacked on another 44 carries in the playoffs to bring his total to 436 rushing attempts.
Running backs have hit the 390-carry mark in a season 10 different times besides Murray. They were on average nearly 26 years old and in their fourth NFL season when extreme usage occurred. Murray is currently 26 and just completed his fourth year. These running backs averaged approximately 11 games, 234 carries, 944 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in the following season. Their averages were just about 13 games, 235 carries, 941 yards and seven touchdowns two seasons removed from the heavy workload. Production drops to right around 10 games, 183 carries and 735 yards with three touchdowns in the third year.
The Marion Barber deal may be another reason that could make the Cowboys think twice about giving Murray a lucrative contract. He received a seven-year, $45 million contract (with $16 million guaranteed) from the team in 2008 as a restricted free agent despite not having a 1,000 yard rushing season or being an every-down running back. The six unrestricted free agent years Barber gave up averaged $7.073 million per year. That's the value after subtracting the $2.562 million restricted free agent tender he received. Barber made $21 million over three years on the deal before the Cowboys released him in 2011. During these years, he averaged 14.3 games, 188.3 carries, 730.3 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns per year.
It has been a buyer's market in free agency with running backs in recent years but a runner of Murray's caliber hasn't hit the open market in quite some time. Conceivably, some team with an abundance of cap room and a need at running back, like the Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts, could make Murray an offer he couldn't refuse.
History suggests that probably won't be the case. The last running back to switch teams in free agency with a deal over $5 million per year was Michael Turner in 2008 when he received a six-year, $34.5 million contract (with $15 million guaranteed and an additional $1.5 million in salary escalators) from the Falcons.
Dallas putting a transition or franchise tag on Murray and evaluating their options with him after the 2015 season might be a consideration, given his extreme workload. This, of course, is provided that a long-term deal can be worked out with Bryant before the end of the designation period ends on March 2. The running back franchise tag number should be $10.853 million with a $142 million salary cap.
Adrian Peterson could also affect Murray's future in Dallas. If Peterson gets his NFL suspension until April 15 lifted or reduced through the legal system, that could affect Murray's future in Dallas. Peterson, who has his hearing date on Feb. 6, may be released by the Minnesota Vikings once he is reinstated because of his $15.4 million 2015 cap number. The 2012 NFL MVP has expressed an interest in playing for the Cowboys before retiring.
Free agency/team needs
The Cowboys have 12 other unrestricted free agents besides Bryant and Murray, including linebackers Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain, tackles Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell and defensive ends George Selvie and Anthony Spencer. Four players, including wide receiver Cole Beasley and running back Lance Dunbar, are restricted free agents.
McClain is the most indispensable free agent after Bryant and Murray. He was one of the NFL's best bargains in 2014 with his $700,000 salary. McClain, who had retired and hadn't played in the NFL since the Oakland Raiders released him in the middle of the 2012 season for poor performance, was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens along with a 2015 seventh-round pick for a 2015 sixth-round pick after middle linebacker Sean Lee pick tore the ACL in his left knee on the first day of organized team activities in May. Retaining McClain would allow the Cowboys to shift the often-injured Lee to weakside linebacker in an effort to keep him healthy. The 2010 second-round pick has only played 46 games in five seasons with the Cowboys.
One area that should be addressed is the pass rush. Dallas ranked 28th in the NFL with 28 sacks. Jeremy Mincey's six sacks led the team. Jason Pierre-Paul could be an option if Jerry Jones decides to open his checkbook. Pierre-Paul ended the season on a high note with 7.5 sacks and 33 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, hurries and hits) in December. NFL sacks leader Justin Houston had 36 quarterback pressures for the month. Pierre-Paul could look to top the four-year contract extension averaging $14,253,724 per year containing $41,171,774 in guarantees that Robert Quinn signed with the St. Louis Rams early in the regular season.
Re-signing Free or Parnell, who filled in nicely for Free at right tackle while he was out with ankle and foot injuries, could be a possibility. Parnell is probably the cheaper option.
The Cowboys must also decide by May 3 whether to exercise an option for a fifth contract year with Morris Claiborne, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft. It seems unlikely because Claiborne's option-year salary will be the transition tag number (average of the 10 highest salaries) at cornerback in 2015, which is expected to be around $10.75 million. The option year is guaranteed for injury upon exercise and would become fully guaranteed if Claiborne was on the team's roster at the start of the 2016 league year.
Claiborne, who missed most of the 2014 season with a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, has been a disappointment. Prior to his injury, Claiborne had primarily been a reserve since Orlando Scandrick replaced him in the starting lineup early in the 2013 season. The secondary could use an upgrade after ranking 26th in pass defense in 2014 and only picking off 11 passes (26th in NFL) with Claiborne and Carr failing to live up to expectations.
Outlook
The championship window should remain open in Dallas while Tony Romo is quarterback as long as Jones can retain key core players, keeps building through the draft and is judicious in free agency. Romo turns 35 in April and his contract runs through the 2019 season.
The same approach that has been taken with the offensive line by rebuilding it with multiple first-round picks should be applied with the defense, particularly the defensive line. All six of the team's Pro Bowlers are on offense.
The offensive line should remain largely intact for the foreseeable future. All-Pro left tackle Smith is under contract through the 2023 season. Center Travis Frederick and right guard Zack Martin won't be able to hit the open market until 2018 and 2019 if the Cowboys exercise their fifth-year options on them. Left guard Ronald Leary, an undrafted free agent in 2012, won't be eligible for unrestricted free agency until the 2016 season ends.
It could become more difficult for the Cowboys to have that same success with the defense if consistently selecting in the same vicinity as the 2015 draft at the end of April. The Cowboys have the 27th pick in the first round.
By Joel Corry | Former Sports Agent
January 13, 2015 4:38 pm ET
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the biggest surprises of the 2014 NFL season after winning the NFC East at 12-4 to finish in a five-way tie for the league's best record. After falling to the Packers 26-21 in the divisional round of the playoffs, Jerry Jones described the defeat as one of the most disappointing losses in his tenure as Cowboys owner. He thought the team could break the franchise's 19-year Super Bowl drought.
GARRETT'S RE-SIGNING
7 things to know
Jones has rebuilt the Cowboys through the NFL Draft and by exercising restraint in free agency. The five-year, $50.1 million contract (with $26.5 million in guarantees) that cornerback Brandon Carr received in 2012 is the team's last big free-agent signing. That restraint has been largely forced: It has been virtually impossible for the Cowboys to be aggressive in free agency given their need to consistently restructure multiple contracts in order to create salary cap room just to be compliant with cap rules at the start of each new league year.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys, who have become synonymous with unsound salary cap management, are not among the teams with the worst cap situations heading into the 2015 league year, which begins March 10. With more financial flexibility than usual, and Jones believing he has a legitimate Super Bowl contender, it remains to be seen if he reverts back to his old ways with a spending spree on bad, high-priced free agents or if he continues his newfound financial discipline.
Here's a look at what lies ahead for the Cowboys.
Coaching staff
The first order of business is trying to keep the coaching staff together. Coach Jason Garrett, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Callahan and passing game coordinator Scott Linehan, who assumed play-calling duties this season, have expiring contracts. The Cowboys have a short window of negotiating exclusivity, which expires Jan. 15, before the coaches can begin talking with other NFL teams.
Garrett reportedly has inked a long-term deal to remain as head coach. One report has Garrett re-signing with Dallas for five years and $30M. Marinelli, who was rumored to be reuniting with close friend Lovie Smith by joining his Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff, decided to stay in Dallas. Losing Marinelli would have been a big blow to Dallas. He transformed what was predicted to be a historically bad defense into a respectable one during his first year as defensive coordinator. The Cowboys went from last in total defense, 27th in rushing defense and 26th in scoring defense in 2013 to 19th, 8th and 15th in those categories in 2014.
Callahan is reportedly drawing interest from multiple teams. His departure could be inevitable considering he wanted to leave last offseason after being stripped of play-calling duties, but the Cowboys prevented him from interviewing with other teams. Linehan is also a target of teams. He would be the natural successor at offensive coordinator if Callahan leaves.
Salary cap
NFL teams were informed at a league meeting on Dec. 9 that the 2015 salary cap is preliminarily projected to be between $138.6 million and $141.8 million. The actual salary cap this league year is 5.3 percent higher than the preliminary projections this time last year. When the 2015 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to once again exceed initial projections.
During the offseason only the top 51 cap numbers count on the salary cap. The Cowboys have slightly more than $131.07 million in 2015 cap commitments with 41 players under contract while $3.26 million of unused cap room can be carried over from the 2014 league year. Those numbers include Doug Free's contract voiding 23 days before the start of the 2015 league year on Feb. 15.
Once tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players with expiring contracts, and futures contracts for practice squad players are accounted for, Dallas should have approximately $5.23 million of 2015 cap space assuming there is a $142 million salary cap.
Quarterback Tony Romo and offensive tackle Tyron Smith are two logical sources for creating cap room through contract restructures. Romo has the NFL's highest 2015 cap number at $27.773 million. $12.8 million of cap room can be created by converting $16 million of Romo's $17 million base salary into signing bonus. Romo's 2015 cap number would drop to $14.973 million through the salary conversion. Turning $10.2 million of Smith's fully guaranteed $11.039 million 2015 base salary into signing bonus will free up $8.16 million of cap space.
A decision must be made on whether to pick up the option on defensive tackle Henry Melton's contract for an additional three years. The total value of the three years is $24 million and the decision must be made by the 23rd day before the start of the 2015 league year (Feb. 15). If the option is exercised, Melton's $9 million 2015 base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the first day of the 2015 league year (March 10), which would make him a candidate to lower his $9,308,843 cap number through a restructure. There would be $8,382,311 of cap room gained if Dallas passes on the option.
Brandon Carr is a paycut or release candidate because he isn't living up to a five-year, $50.1 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2012. Carr makes $8 million in 2015 with a $12.717 million cap number. Since two voidable years were added to Carr's deal when he restructured for cap purposes in 2013, Dallas would have $12.151 million in dead money, which is a cap charge for a player no longer on the roster. That's only a $566,000 cap savings unless Carr is given a post-June 1 designation or released after June 1.
June 1 is significant because the acceleration of bonus proration in future contract years is delayed until the following season for players released after this date. NFL teams also are allowed each year to release up to two players before June 2 with favorable cap treatment. With this post-June 1 designation, the Cowboys would be required to carry Carr's full cap number ($12.717 million) until June 2 even though he wasn't a part of the team anymore. The Cowboys would pick up $8 million of cap room at that time when Carr's 2015 salary came off the books. The Cowboys would have a $7.434 million charge cap or dead money for Carr in 2016.
Dez Bryant
Bryant earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2014 by posting his third straight season with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdown receptions. He led the league with 16 touchdown receptions. His 41 touchdown receptions since 2012 are the most in the NFL over the last three seasons.
Bryant pulled the plug on negotiations at the start of the regular season when Eugene Parker, his agent at the time, couldn't reach an agreement with the Cowboys making him one of the NFL's top paid wide receivers. Details of Dallas' best offer, which was 10 years for $114 million with $20 million in guarantees and an average of $10 million in the first six years, emerged shortly after Bryant switched his representation in the middle of the season against Jones' wishes. Bryant is now represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation in conjunction with Creative Artists Agency's Tom Condon. The Cowboys are reportedly reluctant to give Bryant guaranteed money comparable to other elite wide receivers because of off-field concerns.
Jones has indicated that he is prepared to use the team's franchise tag on the 26-year-old star wideout if necessary. The wide receiver number should be $12.708 million with a $142 million salary cap. Bryant said he would be disappointed with a franchise tag. He should embrace the concept if Jones' offers don't drastically improve, especially with three-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas reportedly rejecting an offer from the Denver Broncos that would have made him the NFL's third-highest paid wide receiver (above Percy Harvin's $12,843,500 new money average per year and below Calvin Johnson/Larry Fitzgerald's deals averaging slightly more than $16 million per year containing in excess of $45 million in guarantees).
A second franchise tag in 2016 would be $15,249,600, a 20 percent increase over Bryant's 2015 franchise number (based on a $142 million 2015 salary cap). Bryant would only need to sign a four-year deal for a little more than $32 million in 2017 as an unrestricted free agent after playing under two franchise tags to break even with the six-year cash flow in the best deal Jones has offered him. The average of franchising Bryant twice (slightly under $14 million per year) could also be used by Condon as justification for a long-term deal making Bryant one of the NFL's three highest paid wide receivers.
DeMarco Murray
Murray is a legitimate MVP candidate because he thrived in the Cowboys' shift to a run-oriented offense. He broke Jim Brown's 56-year-old NFL record of six consecutive games with 100 rushing yards or more to begin a season with an eight-game streak. Murray bested Emmitt Smith's single season franchise rushing record of 1,773 yards by gaining 1,845 yards on the ground while playing with a broken left hand suffered late in the season. He also tied for the NFL lead with 13 rushing touchdowns and was tops in the NFL with 2,261 yards from scrimmage.
Murray's terrific start to the season prompted the Cowboys to reportedly offer him a four-year extension worth more than the top running back deals signed during free agency last offseason. The characterization of the offer suggested that it wasn't substantially better than the market setting two-year deal averaging $4 million per year (with an additional $1 million in salary escalators) Chris Johnson received from the New York Jets.
Typically, when a player has a dominant season in a contract year like Murray, he becomes one of the highest-paid players at his position. Murray probably won't be able to capitalize on his success as much as he could at other positions because of the devaluing of running backs.
Compensation at the position has been on the decline since peaking in 2012. The number of running backs with veteran contracts averaging at least $7 million per year jumped from five in 2011 to 11 in 2012 thanks to new deals by Matt Forte ($30.4 million/four years), Arian Foster ($43 million/five years), Marshawn Lynch ($30 million/four years), LeSean McCoy ($45 million/five-year extension), Ray Rice ($35 million/five years) and Jonathan Stewart ($36.5 million/five-year extension). Currently, there are seven running backs at or above the $7 million threshold.
The Cowboys may be reluctant to make a substantial investment in Murray because of how running backs have performed historically after an extremely heavy workload like his. Murray's 392 carries were the eighth-most ever in an NFL regular season. He tacked on another 44 carries in the playoffs to bring his total to 436 rushing attempts.
Running backs have hit the 390-carry mark in a season 10 different times besides Murray. They were on average nearly 26 years old and in their fourth NFL season when extreme usage occurred. Murray is currently 26 and just completed his fourth year. These running backs averaged approximately 11 games, 234 carries, 944 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in the following season. Their averages were just about 13 games, 235 carries, 941 yards and seven touchdowns two seasons removed from the heavy workload. Production drops to right around 10 games, 183 carries and 735 yards with three touchdowns in the third year.
The Marion Barber deal may be another reason that could make the Cowboys think twice about giving Murray a lucrative contract. He received a seven-year, $45 million contract (with $16 million guaranteed) from the team in 2008 as a restricted free agent despite not having a 1,000 yard rushing season or being an every-down running back. The six unrestricted free agent years Barber gave up averaged $7.073 million per year. That's the value after subtracting the $2.562 million restricted free agent tender he received. Barber made $21 million over three years on the deal before the Cowboys released him in 2011. During these years, he averaged 14.3 games, 188.3 carries, 730.3 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns per year.
It has been a buyer's market in free agency with running backs in recent years but a runner of Murray's caliber hasn't hit the open market in quite some time. Conceivably, some team with an abundance of cap room and a need at running back, like the Cleveland Browns or Indianapolis Colts, could make Murray an offer he couldn't refuse.
History suggests that probably won't be the case. The last running back to switch teams in free agency with a deal over $5 million per year was Michael Turner in 2008 when he received a six-year, $34.5 million contract (with $15 million guaranteed and an additional $1.5 million in salary escalators) from the Falcons.
Dallas putting a transition or franchise tag on Murray and evaluating their options with him after the 2015 season might be a consideration, given his extreme workload. This, of course, is provided that a long-term deal can be worked out with Bryant before the end of the designation period ends on March 2. The running back franchise tag number should be $10.853 million with a $142 million salary cap.
Adrian Peterson could also affect Murray's future in Dallas. If Peterson gets his NFL suspension until April 15 lifted or reduced through the legal system, that could affect Murray's future in Dallas. Peterson, who has his hearing date on Feb. 6, may be released by the Minnesota Vikings once he is reinstated because of his $15.4 million 2015 cap number. The 2012 NFL MVP has expressed an interest in playing for the Cowboys before retiring.
Free agency/team needs
The Cowboys have 12 other unrestricted free agents besides Bryant and Murray, including linebackers Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain, tackles Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell and defensive ends George Selvie and Anthony Spencer. Four players, including wide receiver Cole Beasley and running back Lance Dunbar, are restricted free agents.
McClain is the most indispensable free agent after Bryant and Murray. He was one of the NFL's best bargains in 2014 with his $700,000 salary. McClain, who had retired and hadn't played in the NFL since the Oakland Raiders released him in the middle of the 2012 season for poor performance, was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens along with a 2015 seventh-round pick for a 2015 sixth-round pick after middle linebacker Sean Lee pick tore the ACL in his left knee on the first day of organized team activities in May. Retaining McClain would allow the Cowboys to shift the often-injured Lee to weakside linebacker in an effort to keep him healthy. The 2010 second-round pick has only played 46 games in five seasons with the Cowboys.
One area that should be addressed is the pass rush. Dallas ranked 28th in the NFL with 28 sacks. Jeremy Mincey's six sacks led the team. Jason Pierre-Paul could be an option if Jerry Jones decides to open his checkbook. Pierre-Paul ended the season on a high note with 7.5 sacks and 33 quarterback pressures (combined sacks, hurries and hits) in December. NFL sacks leader Justin Houston had 36 quarterback pressures for the month. Pierre-Paul could look to top the four-year contract extension averaging $14,253,724 per year containing $41,171,774 in guarantees that Robert Quinn signed with the St. Louis Rams early in the regular season.
Re-signing Free or Parnell, who filled in nicely for Free at right tackle while he was out with ankle and foot injuries, could be a possibility. Parnell is probably the cheaper option.
The Cowboys must also decide by May 3 whether to exercise an option for a fifth contract year with Morris Claiborne, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft. It seems unlikely because Claiborne's option-year salary will be the transition tag number (average of the 10 highest salaries) at cornerback in 2015, which is expected to be around $10.75 million. The option year is guaranteed for injury upon exercise and would become fully guaranteed if Claiborne was on the team's roster at the start of the 2016 league year.
Claiborne, who missed most of the 2014 season with a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, has been a disappointment. Prior to his injury, Claiborne had primarily been a reserve since Orlando Scandrick replaced him in the starting lineup early in the 2013 season. The secondary could use an upgrade after ranking 26th in pass defense in 2014 and only picking off 11 passes (26th in NFL) with Claiborne and Carr failing to live up to expectations.
Outlook
The championship window should remain open in Dallas while Tony Romo is quarterback as long as Jones can retain key core players, keeps building through the draft and is judicious in free agency. Romo turns 35 in April and his contract runs through the 2019 season.
The same approach that has been taken with the offensive line by rebuilding it with multiple first-round picks should be applied with the defense, particularly the defensive line. All six of the team's Pro Bowlers are on offense.
The offensive line should remain largely intact for the foreseeable future. All-Pro left tackle Smith is under contract through the 2023 season. Center Travis Frederick and right guard Zack Martin won't be able to hit the open market until 2018 and 2019 if the Cowboys exercise their fifth-year options on them. Left guard Ronald Leary, an undrafted free agent in 2012, won't be eligible for unrestricted free agency until the 2016 season ends.
It could become more difficult for the Cowboys to have that same success with the defense if consistently selecting in the same vicinity as the 2015 draft at the end of April. The Cowboys have the 27th pick in the first round.