Moore: Why didn't Cowboys spend big money on Lamar Miller?

Cotton

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Moore: Why didn't Cowboys spend big money on Lamar Miller? Answer lies in Darren McFadden's resurrected career

By David Moore , Staff Writer

The Cowboys have drawn a line in the financial sand when it comes to the running back position.

There's no way the club was going to erase that line 12 months later for Lamar Miller.

This is not a poor reflection on Miller. An argument can be made that he was the most attractive running back in terms of age and talent in this free-agent market. He would have looked great behind this Cowboys offensive line.

And that's the point. Club officials believe there are enough backs who can excel behind this offensive line that there's no need to break the bank for any one.

Take Darren McFadden. Not many teams wanted to do that 12 months ago. He was four years removed from his only 1,000-yard season and had failed to average more than 3.4 yards a carry in his previous three seasons. There was no reason to believe he could resurrect his career.

McFadden didn't start the first six games of the season. Once he did move into the starting lineup, the ineffective quarterback carousel had already begun to spin. No defense was threatened by the Cowboys' passing game.

Yet McFadden finished fourth in the NFL in rushing with 1,089 yards. That's more than he had in the previous two years combined.
That's 217 more yards than Miller managed in Miami.

Is McFadden better than Miller? Objective observers will tell you no. What McFadden's performance does is show the club's faith in the offensive line is justified. It makes it easier for executive vice president Stephen Jones to toe the financial line.

Miller agreed to a four-year, $26 million contract with $14 million guaranteed to go to Houston. The Cowboys' final offer to DeMarco Murray last March, pushed upward only at the last second after the running back's offer from Philadelphia was for four years at $24 million with $12 million guaranteed.

Jones added $4 million to the total package at the end and was clearly uncomfortable doing so. He did it because of what Murray meant to the Cowboys' 12-4 rise. He did it because Murray had set a single-season franchise rushing record -- for a franchise where Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett ran before him -- and because his head coach and key players lobbied to keep him.

Miller hasn't undergone the wear and tear of Murray, and he's only 24. But he's never led the NFL in rushing, has gone for more than 1,000 yards only once in his four seasons and hasn't proved he can consistently carry the ball 20 to 25 times a game.

If the Cowboys wouldn't give that contract to Murray, they weren't about to give it to Miller.

A pair of backup quarterbacks that piqued the Cowboys' interest also fell by the wayside on the first day of free agency.

Colt McCoy, who occupied a seat next to Tony Romo at a recent UT basketball game, decided to stay in Washington. Chase Daniel agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract to challenge Sam Bradford in Philadelphia.

With those two quarterbacks off the market, the Cowboys scheduled a visit with Matt Moore on Thursday. The team tried, and failed, to sneak Moore through waivers and put him on the practice squad nine years ago. He has played for Carolina and Miami since that day, completing 453 of 769 passes for 5,356 yards with 33 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.

Moore owns a 13-12 record as a starter but has thrown just 30 passes in his last four seasons.

Miller wasn't the only top back to go off the market in the opening hours of free agency. Doug Martin stayed in Tampa Bay. Matt Forte signed with the New York Jets and Chris Ivory went to Jacksonville.

There remain options that are as attractive, arguably more so, than McFadden was 12 months ago. Will the Cowboys sign one of these backs at a bargain-basement price to pair with McFadden or will they wait until the draft?

Either choice is cost efficient.

And either back gets to run behind that offensive line.

This is the Cowboys' definition of a win-win scenario.
 

Cowboysrock55

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7 mil a year for a backup QB is insane. I get why we didn't get involved with the top backup names at QB. Makes way more sense to draft and develop your own guys.
 

Chocolate Lab

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I mean I don't see the rush, guys. Our young, healthy franchise QB has at least a decade of great play left.

No need for any sense of urgency.
 

Simpleton

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Better to use that money elsewhere, we can get an Alex Collins or Kenneth Dixon in the 3rd who we can pair with McFadden and be just fine. Obviously there is the potential of taking Elliott at 4 or Henry at 34 as well.

The key will be using that money wisely on other guys, that part remains to be seen.
 

DLK150

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Just draft a capable back that can run behind our blocking scheme. It doesn't have to be Elliot at #4, pick one up in the second or third, maybe fourth rounds. Henry in the second maybe. I would take Prosise in the third, certainly the fourth. ND's line was better at pass blocking than run blocking, so who knows how good he could be behind Dallas' line?
 

DCUDoomsday

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When you're not all that interested in playing smash mouth, RB is not a priority.
 

Jiggyfly

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1 signing does not make an offseason.
And overpaying guys the 1st couple of days does not either.

The point is Hardy was a late signing that you were happy about and the same can happen again.
 

ravidubey

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Miller is not a smash mouth back like Ivory.

Miller is more like McFadden in style, but a lot younger.
 

Cotton

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And overpaying guys the 1st couple of days does not either.

The point is Hardy was a late signing that you were happy about and the same can happen again.
My original post was more to say that we seem to be doing the exact same thing at RB we did last year, which was jack and shit.
 

Jiggyfly

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My original post was more to say that we seem to be doing the exact same thing at RB we did last year, which was jack and shit.
Before the draft has even happened?

And you know we do have the a guy who was the 4th leading rusher in the NFL.

I would like to upgrade at well and I am pretty sure another back will be added to the team.
 

Cotton

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Before the draft has even happened?

And you know we do have the a guy who was the 4th leading rusher in the NFL.

I would like to upgrade at well and I am pretty sure another back will be added to the team.
We were all pretty sure of it last year, too, and we got off-injured McFadden and a bunch of schlubs. We got really lukcy with McFadden not getting injured, so I'm afraid they are going to think just like this and skip on RB... because we "have the a guy who was the 4th leading rusher in the NFL".
 

Clay_Allison

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Ronnie Hillman is still available, he's 24 and was somewhat productive splitting carries with CJ Anderson in Denver.
 
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