DeMarco Murray's Departure Won't Have a Drastic Effect on Dallas Cowboys

Despite breaking a four-year playoff drought and winning the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys could look like a drastically different team come the 2015 season, especially with absence of DeMarco Murray's services.

Murray’s contract expires in March, and his accolades will undoubtedly garner big money from teams around the league.

Aside from winning the rushing title (1,845) and Offensive Player of the Year honors, DeMo also shattered both Jim Brown’s record for consecutive 100-yard games to start a season (eight) as well as Emmitt Smith’s franchise rushing record.

But with so many Cowboys set to hit free agency—including star wideout Dez Bryant and veteran guard Doug Free—Dallas’ front office faces some very difficult decisions regarding personnel.

Owner Jerry Jones has already alluded to the improbability of retaining both Murray and Bryant, though that’s the ideal scenario:

"

It’s going to be a challenge. Is it financially reasonable? No. Is it possible? Yes. But if you just looked at it from dollars and cents, it probably doesn't look reasonable. You have to figure out how you get there, but at the end of the day you realize it’s going to be costly to have both of those players.         

"

It’s a forgone conclusion that once the figurative music stops playing, either Murray or Bryant won’t have a chair to sit in.

Bryant will demand top-receiver money, deservedly so after leading the league in touchdowns (16), but where does that leave Murray?

In all likelihood, on another team.

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, we live in a pass-heavy football era where the value of a running back has gradually diminished over time.

According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys offered Murray a four-year, $16 million contract, which was quickly rejected by the running back:

Clearly someone who just led the league in rushing warrants more than $4 million per year, so why are the Cowboys lowballing him?

Because Dallas simply doesn't have enough bank to pay Murray what he deserves—say $8 million with $15 million guaranteed—and they’d be foolish to sign a running back currently in his second contract in a capped league.

“The Cowboys have built their roster in such a way that they do not need to retain running backs on second contracts to get great production from that position,” writes John Bankston of The Landry Hat.

Jones understands that a back with a prolonged injury history—Murray missed 11 games during his first three seasons and broke his hand last season—who just pounded the rock over 392 times isn't worth the risk.

Teams were instructed in December that the salary cap would range between $138.6 million-$141.8 million, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Assuming its around $142 million—the cap is almost always higher than initially projected—the Cowboys should have just under $5 million in cap space, according to ESPN.com’s Lee Singer, before freeing up money via free agency and contract negotiations.

They have 16 unrestricted free agents in total—including Doug Free—but none as important as Murray or Bryant.

Supposing Bryant gets his big contract—either five years for $60 million-$80 million or a franchise tag estimated around $13 million, as Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com discussed—and Murray signs elsewhere, how does that affect the Cowboys moving forward?

Not too significantly it turns out.

That’s not diminishing Murray’s production but rather complementing the best offensive line in the league, finishing only second in total rushing yards (2,354) behind the Seattle Seahawks.

The front five converted 76 percent of all short-yardage runs on third or fourth down—including the red zone.

Considering three of them (Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick) made the Pro Bowl last year, it’s tough to ignore the correlation between Murray’s most productive season and the formation of the new O-line.

Let’s not forget Joseph Randle’s contributions either. Though he carried the ball significantly less times than Murray (341), Randle had a considerably higher average at 6.7 yards per attempt.

Murray’s departure also allocates more money for the Cowboys’ biggest weakness: defense.

Addressing the overpaid, underperforming secondary is priority No. 1. Brandon Carr is the main culprit, eating up $12.7 million against the salary cap, with a salary of $8 million, according to Over The Cap.

He’s paid like one of the best defensive backs in football—only Patrick Peterson and Darrelle Revis make more—but he’s not playing like it, not even close.

“We’ll certainly look at corner,” vice president Stephen Jones said, per DallasCowboys.com. “We've got a high cap number with Carr that we've got to look at.”

Failing to record a single interception while getting burned for six touchdowns will get you re-evaluated. The Cowboys will likely give him the same ultimatum they gave Free last year: either take a pay cut or get cut.

Speaking of Free, the front office won’t be picking up his option, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Sean d'Oliveira, also of CBSSports.com), making Jermey Parnell—who filled in while Free was injured—the front-runner at right tackle.

Whoever ends up staying will—in all likelihood—be creating holes for a new running back.

Currently, Dallas’ future at the position looks cloudy at best: Murray and Lance Dunbar are free agents, and Randle faces domestic-violence allegations.

As of now, the only back guaranteed to crack the 2015 roster is Ryan Williams, who has yet to play a significant down for the team.

Yet, the Cowboys needn't be worried.

Today, all it takes to catapult a relatively unknown player into stardom is an opportunity. Tailback is the most interchangeable position in the league, as long as there’s a productive O-line up front.

Look at what Denver’s C.J Anderson or Cincinnati’s Jeremy Hill accomplished on their respective teams, after the starters went down.

Anderson racked up 849 yards with a 4.7 per-attempt average, and Hill amassed 1,124 yards with a 5.1 average.

To put that into perspective, Hill finished seventh in rushing yards, and Anderson tied for 16th (though he only had 179 attempts, while the backs ahead of him had at least 206 touches).

Ergo, the Cowboys shouldn't have much trouble finding a suitable replacement for Murray, like an Anderson or Hill. 

Of course DeMo’s speed, power and vision will be missed, but the luxury of a young, athletic O-line can counterbalance his absence, especially if the Cowboys look for his replacement via the draft.

Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon are two options that come to mind.

Of the two, Gordon measures up closer to Murray’s stature (6’1", 213 lbs) making him the ideal candidate for the Cowboys to target.

He racked up 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns on 343 carries for the Badgers last year and was one of three Heisman finalists.

ESPN’s Todd McShay offered this comparison, per DallasNews.com:

"

Murray has been great, but it's easier to find effective running backs (especially behind Dallas' offensive line) than it is to find elite receivers like Bryant.

Gordon's running style is very similar to Murray's; he runs hard, is a work horse, gets from 0 to 60 in a flash and shows great vision and patience as a runner. He isn't great in pass protection or as a receiver, but he's getting better.

"

Then there’s the possibility of acquiring Adrian Peterson, presuming he gets reinstated.

The Minnesota Vikings have expressed their desire to hold onto Peterson, though Peterson and Jones had preliminary talks of No. 28 donning the blue and silver sometime in the future according to ESPN The Magazine's Don Van Natta Jr. before the running back's legal issues.

Imagine having to prepare for Tony Romo, Bryant and Peterson on the field at the same time.

It's a very scary proposition for opposing defensive coordinators. 

So whether it’s Peterson, Gordon or someone else, as long as Romo's under center, behind that line, with Bryant out wide, it really doesn't matter who’s in the backfield.

No Murray you say? No problem.