- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,103
Maybe there is value in a running back
March, 6, 2015
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- If it’s repeated often enough, maybe everybody will believe it: running backs have been devalued.
The Philadelphia Eagles maybe didn’t want to pay LeSean McCoy $9.75 million this season, but the Buffalo Bills will, and they might be ready to commit more guaranteed money to the running back. C.J. Spiller reportedly declined a deal that averaged $4.5 million a year.
Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer met with Adrian Peterson this week in an attempt to convince him to come back to the Minnesota Vikings. At the very least, he will make $12.75 million from the Vikings this season. Maybe he will get some more guaranteed money to come back.
Now comes word that Marshawn Lynch will be back with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 for $11 million this season, including a $9 million signing bonus.
So where does this leave DeMarco Murray and the Dallas Cowboys?
If you want to say Murray is not Peterson, McCoy or Lynch, that is fine. But I think everybody can agree he is worth more than the four-year, $16 million offer the Cowboys made to him at the beginning of the season. Just to put that offer into perspective, it is only $900,000 more than the max value the Cowboys would pay No. 3 wide receiver Cole Beasley.
The Cowboys will have a price for Murray. Is it $6 million per season? Maybe $7 million? They have not made a firm offer to Murray, and have told him to shop the market when it opens on Tuesday and come back to them with an offer.
Murray waited and waited and waited for a new offer, and nothing came. Why should he take an offer back to the Cowboys? They had their chance to exclusively negotiate with him and chose not to do so.
Maybe they did not want to insult him with a low offer. Maybe they didn’t want their offer to be shopped to other teams.
Whatever the reason, Murray is in position to become the first runner to lead the league in rushing and not return with the same team in seven decades.
"We’ve made a lot of organizational emphasis over the last few years to use our resources to shore up that offensive line," coach Jason Garrett said at the NFL scouting combine. "I think that’s paid dividends for us. But the runner does matter. I think we’ve all seen that running backs don’t seem to be drafted quite as high as they used to. I think that has a lot to do with the longevity of the player. But I do think the value of the running back is really, really critical to having a great running football team. I think the history in the NFL proves that. Recent history proves that. He certainly had a big impact on our team."
The Bills see value in the runner. The Vikings see value in the runner. The Seahawks see value in the runner.
Will the Cowboys?
March, 6, 2015
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- If it’s repeated often enough, maybe everybody will believe it: running backs have been devalued.
The Philadelphia Eagles maybe didn’t want to pay LeSean McCoy $9.75 million this season, but the Buffalo Bills will, and they might be ready to commit more guaranteed money to the running back. C.J. Spiller reportedly declined a deal that averaged $4.5 million a year.
Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer met with Adrian Peterson this week in an attempt to convince him to come back to the Minnesota Vikings. At the very least, he will make $12.75 million from the Vikings this season. Maybe he will get some more guaranteed money to come back.
Now comes word that Marshawn Lynch will be back with the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 for $11 million this season, including a $9 million signing bonus.
So where does this leave DeMarco Murray and the Dallas Cowboys?
If you want to say Murray is not Peterson, McCoy or Lynch, that is fine. But I think everybody can agree he is worth more than the four-year, $16 million offer the Cowboys made to him at the beginning of the season. Just to put that offer into perspective, it is only $900,000 more than the max value the Cowboys would pay No. 3 wide receiver Cole Beasley.
The Cowboys will have a price for Murray. Is it $6 million per season? Maybe $7 million? They have not made a firm offer to Murray, and have told him to shop the market when it opens on Tuesday and come back to them with an offer.
Murray waited and waited and waited for a new offer, and nothing came. Why should he take an offer back to the Cowboys? They had their chance to exclusively negotiate with him and chose not to do so.
Maybe they did not want to insult him with a low offer. Maybe they didn’t want their offer to be shopped to other teams.
Whatever the reason, Murray is in position to become the first runner to lead the league in rushing and not return with the same team in seven decades.
"We’ve made a lot of organizational emphasis over the last few years to use our resources to shore up that offensive line," coach Jason Garrett said at the NFL scouting combine. "I think that’s paid dividends for us. But the runner does matter. I think we’ve all seen that running backs don’t seem to be drafted quite as high as they used to. I think that has a lot to do with the longevity of the player. But I do think the value of the running back is really, really critical to having a great running football team. I think the history in the NFL proves that. Recent history proves that. He certainly had a big impact on our team."
The Bills see value in the runner. The Vikings see value in the runner. The Seahawks see value in the runner.
Will the Cowboys?
