Cowboys will tag Dez.

[es4m11]

For the record, when I stared this thread I said that we should have singed Dez and tagged Murray.

I think Dez is a talent harder to come by and can have more of an impact.

I agree with this. Dez is definitely the priority, You don't find many guys like him who can do what he does -- Dez is the best Red Zone threat in football, bar none.

I would have been okay with franchise tagging Murray. I would be happy to have him for one more year, I think he will be a top 5 RB next year. Paying Murray guaranteed money for multiple years is where I have to object, it wouldn't turn out well in the end. In the end I hope the money goes into the defense.

 

[PDay8810]

Dallas' cap situation, while not the prettiest, is not too terrible. Yes, it could be better, but that water is under the bridge. The Cowboys can be players in Free Agency if they wish, it would only take a couple restructures. Dallas can stomach the restructures of Tyron Smith and Romo due to the escalating cap over the next few years. And we can still cut Carr in these scenarios. If Carr takes a pay cut, Dallas will be in even better position to make some key acquisitions.

Dallas can keep Murray if they really want to. It's more of a matter of getting value, than not being able to afford him. I'm very surprised at the number of people who want to give Murray a big money long term deal. Murray is injury prone and a lot of guys on here are advocating paying him big money for his declining years. Do you guys not remember Marion Barber? I'm not saying that Murray and Barber are the same type of back, but the lesson here is not to give veteran RB's long term/big money deals. IMO, the money that would be spent on Murray needs to be reallocated into the defense.

I agree Dallas could do many things. That was the point from the sure fire cap doom two seasons back. I'm kinda in the group of sign your own, but I also don't want to pay Murray top 3 back money. problem being the other aspects involved in being an NFL runningback. Dallas can find a fine one-cut back that hits a hole and through the front seven but can he do the other things? Don't see in on the current roster...could be wrong. That's the rub and also the fact that Murray is a poster boy of the kinda players they want in Dallas.

Most interesting 10/14 days

 

[jarntt]

Dallas' cap situation, while not the prettiest, is not too terrible. Yes, it could be better, but that water is under the bridge. The Cowboys can be players in Free Agency if they wish, it would only take a couple restructures. Dallas can stomach the restructures of Tyron Smith and Romo due to the escalating cap over the next few years. And we can still cut Carr in these scenarios. If Carr takes a pay cut, Dallas will be in even better position to make some key acquisitions.

Dallas can keep Murray if they really want to. It's more of a matter of getting value, than not being able to afford him. I'm very surprised at the number of people who want to give Murray a big money long term deal. Murray is injury prone and a lot of guys on here are advocating paying him big money for his declining years. Do you guys not remember Marion Barber? I'm not saying that Murray and Barber are the same type of back, but the lesson here is not to give veteran RB's long term/big money deals. IMO, the money that would be spent on Murray needs to be reallocated into the defense.

I've yet to see someone advocate that we "give Murray a big money long term deal".

 

[jarntt]

Maybe you missed the highlighted bit? I'm not saying that Murray and Barber are the same type of RB's, but Barber is a perfect in house example of why you don't pay aging RB's -- I don't care who they are, it's not a wise investment. You point out that Barber was a more aggressive runner which possibly led to more wear and tear earlier in his career, and that is true. But since when is Murray the kind of RB to shy away from contact? Sure he is a little more judicious with dealing out contact, but Murray has always been the type of runner to finish runs as opposed to running out of bounds. Not only that, but Murray has carried a heavier workload than Barber ever did.

DON'T PAY AGING RUNNING BACKS!

Is Murray aging? He will finish the first year of his next contract at 27 years old and he has less than 1,000 carries in his career.

 

[es4m11]

I've yet to see someone advocate that we "give Murray a big money long term deal".

Anyone who wants to re-sign Murray is advocating for a large deal. There are many on this board who are pretty adamant that having Murray is a top priority, if they are being realistic with them selves, then they are advocating for large deals -- because that's what it's going to take to sign him. Murray looks to get something like Arian Foster/Shady McCoy money.

Is Murray aging? He will finish the first year of his next contract at 27 years old and he has less than 1,000 carries in his career.

I would say 27 is considered "aging" as an NFL running back. The data points to significant drop off in production after 27. Murray may be worth $9-10 million next year, but will he be worth that kind of money in years 2,3 and 4?

 

[jarntt]

Anyone who wants to re-sign Murray is advocating for a large deal. There are many on this board who are pretty adamant that having Murray is a top priority, if they are being realistic with them selves, then they are advocating for large deals -- because that's what it's going to take to sign him. Murray looks to get something like Arian Foster/Shady McCoy money.



I would say 27 is considered "aging" as an NFL running back. The data points to significant drop off in production after 27. Murray may be worth $9-10 million next year, but will he be worth that kind of money in years 2,3 and 4?

Don't know, but I'm not good giving him a 4 year deal for $40m and most of it guaranteed. RB deals have come down. If he gets that God bless him and he would be dumb to stay, but I don't think he will. Last year there were no huge RB FAs to compare, so tough to say, but I think it is way less (ignoring back end dollars he won't likely see)

 

[jarntt]

Focus on guaranteed money. not many RBs get even $20M guaranteed and none got $21M

 

[es4m11]

Don't know, but I'm not good giving him a 4 year deal for $40m and most of it guaranteed. RB deals have come down. If he gets that God bless him and he would be dumb to stay, but I don't think he will. Last year there were no huge RB FAs to compare, so tough to say, but I think it is way less (ignoring back end dollars he won't likely see)

At the very least Murray will be looking at a contract in the neighborhood of Matt Forte. I think it will be closer to Arian Foster, though.

Either way, I think Dallas could get better spending that kind of money elsewhere.

 

[jarntt]

Forte's contract could have been a 2 year $16M deal if Chi cut him after 2013. I'd take that. Many wanted to tag Murray (not me). Tagging him would be $11M so giving him a deal like Forte could have you coming out with the tag number and then one more year at $5M? Fosters contract is a lot more and the one that troubles me. Given the choice I take Murray over both of them. If Murray feels the same way he won't be a Cowboy because it would be too much for us to give him...too bad we kept extending Romo. That is why we do still have a cap issue and are even having this discussion about Murray instead of just siging him...

 

[UK Cowboy]

Listening to Stephen Jones yesterday, it wouldn't be a total shock if Dez plays this year and next on a tag. Hopefully a longterm deal gets done, but Jones said the major sticking point is that Calvin Johnsons 2nd deal was a bump from his original rookie contract, right before the rookie pay scale was cut in half. Percentage wise, what they are offering Dez is along the same lines as the bump in pay Johnson received, but obviously, the dollars are much different. That's a pretty big sticking point

 

[Greg]

Listening to Stephen Jones yesterday, it wouldn't be a total shock if Dez plays this year and next on a tag. Hopefully a longterm deal gets done, but Jones said the major sticking point is that Calvin Johnsons 2nd deal was a bump from his original rookie contract, right before the rookie pay scale was cut in half. Percentage wise, what they are offering Dez is along the same lines as the bump in pay Johnson received, but obviously, the dollars are much different. That's a pretty big sticking point

I can see a deal getting done by July 15th. Just a matter of timing. Dez is a stud. Just has to control his emotions off the field.

 

[UK Cowboy]

I can see a deal getting done by July 15th. Just a matter of timing. Dez is a stud. Just has to control his emotions off the field.

I think it would benefit the Cowboys greatly, but I think Dez will have to accept a little less than Megatron if he wants a long-term deal anytime soon

 

[Greg]

I think it would benefit the Cowboys greatly, but I think Dez will have to accept a little less than Megatron if he wants a long-term deal anytime soon

Without the character issues, Dez is even worth more because of his freakish athleticism, but you just can't dismiss his mind-set so easily as an organization. Dez just needs to grow up a little.

 

[Greg]

Dez is just a great draft pick for this organization.