The Dallas Cowboys are both right and wrong.
They were right not to break the bank to sign running back DeMarco Murray last year in free agency. As I'm sure you've all noticed, running backs just aren't worth what they once were and the Philadelphia Eagles are already feeling buyer's remorse for Murray after just one season.
They were wrong not to invest in a replacement. I realize that free agent Darren McFadden enjoyed a solid bounce back season this past year. But he's like a new character in "Homeland," you just don't trust him fully. The 2015 season was just the second time McFadden has played a full 16-game schedule and he'll be 29 when next season rolls around.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell suggests that Washington Redskins free agent running back Alfred Morris could be an inexpensive short-term solution to this problem.
"If the Cowboys do want to add a veteran running back from their division rivals, the 27-year-old Morris makes sense," Barnwell wrote. "Morris had far more success running in a zone-blocking scheme during offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's time in Washington, is a year younger than Murray, has less of an injury history and was far more consistent than his Dallas counterpart."
In four seasons Morris has not missed a single game. Durability is not a concern. Wear-and-tear, however, might be. Morris is coming off his least productive season as a pro thanks to competition from 2015 third-rounder Matt Jones and a stretch of ineffective play. However, behind Dallas' premiere offensive line, who knows what could happen?
The numbers provide a decent case for Jerry Jones to at least think about it.
"From 2012 to 2014, Murray carried the ball 770 times for 3,629 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) and scored 26 rushing touchdowns. Over that same timeframe, Morris carried the ball 876 times for 3,962 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) with 28 rushing touchdowns. Murray might be the better player, but Morris will come cheaper."
Free agency will officially begin once the new league year commences on March 9.
