LeSean McCoy Extension Just What Free-Agent RBs Needed to Level Playing Field

Somewhere, free-agent running back DeMarco Murray is smiling wide at the news coming out of Buffalo. 

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Bills running back LeSean McCoy has agreed to a five-year, $40 million extension, which includes $26.5 million guaranteed. He will make $16 million in 2015 alone, with $13 million coming in the form of a signing bonus. 

And who said a running back couldn't get paid in the NFL?

McCoy wasn't a free agent, but he arrived in Buffalo via trade with the expectation of a new deal. The Bills paid him handsomely, adding two more years and $15 million to his current deal while also pushing much of the cash upfront. The final result was a well-compensated (and finally happy) player and a lower 2015 cap hit for Buffalo. 

You can now bet Murray and a host of free agents at the running back position will be using McCoy's extension to bolster their leverage on the open market. 

Many believed the market would be a soft one, due largely to a continued devaluing of running backs and the high number of talented players available to teams in the 2015 draft. 

Mark Ingram appeared to set the table Saturday night when he agreed to a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints worth just $16 million, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Despite coming off a career season in which he scored nine times and nearly hit 1,000 yards rushing, Ingram—a former first-round pick—was only able to muster $4 million per season. 

Rank	Player	2014 Team
1.	DeMarco Murray	DAL
2.	Justin Forsett	BAL
3.	C.J. Spiller	BUF
4.	Ryan Mathews	SD
5.	Shane Vereen	NE
6.	DeAngelo Williams	CAR
7.	Reggie Bush	DET

The market can still be unforgiving if you're not an upper-echelon player at the position. 

But Murray is a top back, and the Dallas Cowboys may no longer have the luxury of a hometown discount.

The pending free agent was quoted a month ago saying, via Conor Orr of NFL.com:

"

At the end of the day, it's all about respect, and I think different people show their appreciation in different ways. I don't need a pat on the back. I don't need someone telling me how good I am on a constant basis and whatnot like that. I understand my value, so to speak, and I understand what I bring to the table.

"

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Cowboys have been banking on a soft market in hopes that Murray would favor a deal in Dallas over a marginally bigger payday somewhere else. This strategy might still work, but McCoy's extension should provide Murray the last bit of ammunition he needs to get the deal he probably deserves. 

The Bills (McCoy), Seattle Seahawks (Marshawn Lynch) and Minnesota Vikings (Adrian Peterson) are all scheduled to pay a running back $10 million or more in 2015. Murray, the 2014 rushing champ after setting the Cowboys' franchise record with 1,845 yards on the ground, has to feel he's in position to leverage a deal worth at least $10 million per year. 

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

	L. McCoy	D. Murray
Age	26	27
Career Carries	1,461	934
Career Touches	1,761	1,104
2014 Rushing Yards	1,319	1,845
Rushing Yards Since 2013	2,926	2,966
Career Rushing Average	4.6	4.8

Murray is roughly the same age as McCoy and has almost 700 fewer NFL touches. Plus, he's hitting free agency on the heels of a rare season rushing the football. If McCoy can land $26.5 million guaranteed and a $13 million signing bonus, Murray will likely feel confident in the market providing him similar figures. 

He probably won't match the deal regardless, but McCoy's extension has certainly helped heat up the running back market in Murray's favor. 

We could see a trickle-down effect after Murray, with the likes of C.J. Spiller, Ryan Mathews and Justin Forsett squeezing out a few more dollars on their deals. It really only takes one or two contracts to shift the cash paradigm. 

If anything, the last week proved top backs can still find top money. McCoy received a healthy new deal in Buffalo, while Lynch agreed to a two-year extension in Seattle worth $24 million in new money, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Murray is one of the elite running backs in the league. McCoy's extension should help reshuffle the running back marketing, ensuring Murray lands a deal—in Dallas or elsewhere—much closer to his actual value. 

Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2