Dallas Cowboys Rumors: DeMarco Murray Could Be Gone This Offseason As Team Weighs Free Agency Options

The Dallas Cowboys are rumored to be losing one of their big stars on offense, and signs point to Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray as the odd one out.

After a disappointing end to their season with a controversial loss at Green Bay, the Cowboys are looking at the prospect of an even more difficult offseason. The team has some big free agents in wide receiver Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, and the Cowboys will likely only be able to keep one of the two.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke about the situation, striking a tone that was less than optimistic.

“Is it possible? Yes,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “But if you just look at it from the standpoint of dollars and cents, it probably doesn’t look reasonable.”

While Jones didn’t say which player would likely be gone, experts say DeMarco Murray seems the likelier candidate. Though he led the league in rushing at 1,745 yards this year, the league’s shift toward passing has taken a lot of importance away from the rushing game.

In the past several years, late round picks and even undrafted players — Arian Foster chief among them — have performed as well if not better than high-round picks like Trent Richardson or C.J. Spiller. Other teams like the New England Patriots have proven that with a strong passing attack in place, teams are able to shift in nearly any running back and still have a powerful offense.

The Dallas Cowboys are rumored to have other options at running back beside DeMarco Murray. In the past, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has reportedly expressed an interest in playing in Dallas, and if he is reinstated by the NFL, he could get a hard look from the Cowboys. That would depend on Peterson taking a pay cut, however, if the Vikings do indeed cut him loose.