It's never too early to start talking about the NFL draft. Today, I want to focus on the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys had a fantastic season by any measurement. They were supposed to be a laughing stock and instead won the NFC East at 12-4 and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. But now the team has some serious questions to answer in the face of free agency. Both star wide receiver Dez Bryant and Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray are set to hit the open market this offseason. Team owner Jerry Jones has already admitted that it will be a "challenge" to re-sign both of them.
It just doesn't make much sense to commit huge money at the running back position these days. One look around the league will reveal a large handful of productive ball carriers on affordable deals. It's possible, and even wise, that the Cowboys would let Murray walk in free agency and re-sign Bryant. This becomes even more realistic when you think about who could replace Murray in Dallas' backfield.
"The Cowboys have a big decision to make about re-signing DeMarco Murray. [Wisconsin running back Melvin] Gordon would be a nice fall back plan," Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com wrote.
The Cowboys hold the 27th pick in the 2015 NFL draft. ESPN's NFL draft insider Mel Kiper Jr. has Gordon being selected 24th by the Arizona Cardinals in his Mock Draft 1.0 while fellow draft expert Todd McShay has him going 23rd to the Baltimore Ravens.
Here's what each expert had to say on Gordon.
"I was on the sideline for Gordon's record-setting game with 409 yards rushing against Nebraska this season....and what impressed me most about Gordon was his patience and vision, as he did a great job of waiting for creases to open and then exploding through them with great acceleration off his plant foot," McShay wrote. "He also has good lateral agility to make defenders miss in small creases, and he has good, but not elite, top-end speed (he isn't a Jamaal Charles-level burner). He has shown improvement in the passing game."
"I'm just glad he's healthy after a senior year with 300-plus carries," Kiper wrote. "Gordon is an easy accelerator, and he cuts with explosiveness and little wasted motion. He will miss a hole here and there in search of a bigger lane, but he has good vision, isn't afraid of contact between the tackles or on the edge, and has breakaway speed when he gets in space. Here's hoping health doesn't become an issue because of the workload."
If the Cowboys could somehow wiggle their way up a few draft spots and select Gordon, it would ease the loss of Murray tremendously. Murray missed 11 games through his first three seasons and is coming off a year in which he approached 450 total touches (while also breaking a bone in his hand). Durability is a legit concern when it comes to Murray's free agency prospects. I know that a running back hasn't been taken in the first round since 2012, but Gordon's potential fit with the Cowboys just makes too much sense to ignore.
