Dallas Cowboys officially place franchise tag on Dez Bryant

By Luke Dahlgren | Mar 2, 2015

Nov 9, 2014; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) catches a touchdown pass and runs into the end zone during the first half of the game Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports /

The move to secure Dez Bryant means that running back DeMarco Murray will be free to test free agency.

After a season which validated their personnel moves on offense, the Dallas Cowboys’ primary goal for this offseason was to keep that offense philosophically intact. For Dallas, securing wide receiver Dez Bryant was paramount in maintaining the offense, and they demonstrated that earlier today as said by Fox Sports 1’s Mike Garafolo.

The Cowboys have franchised Dez Bryant, source says. Not that we didn't know it was coming.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 2, 2015

This was soon confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Cowboys officially have placed franchise tag on WR Dez Bryant, as @MikeGarafolo said. So DeMarco Murray will be allowed to test free agency.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2015

The franchise tag secures Bryant for the Cowboys, and sets him up to be paid $12.8 million dollars for 2015.

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As Schefter mentioned, the Cowboys also were dealing with the expired contract of stud halfback DeMarco Murray, and with the tag used on Bryant, will be forced to let Murray become an unrestricted free agent.

A large part of the Cowboys success stems from their ability to gain consistent yardage running the ball, especially late in games. DeMarco Murray’s patience and vision complement his fantastic speed and agility, making him more balanced than the tall scat-back he was projected to become. The Cowboys offensive line, undoubtedly the best in the NFL, allows for Murray to achieve this by getting him to the second level of the defense unfailingly throughout the game.

As a result, DeMarco Murray led the league in rushing yards with 1,845, almost 500 more than anyone else in the league in 2014. Dallas won the NFC East, and less people made Jerry Jones jokes (unless of course they involved Chris Christie in a press box).

Likewise, Dez Bryant also enjoyed a stellar season. His ability to perform one-on-one down the field drew attention away from the box and the running game, and his big play potential put opposing secondaries off balance. Bryant’s play created a symbiotic relationship with Murray and the run game. Bryant led the league with 16 touchdown catches, and secured himself a spot as one of the top handful of NFL receivers, behind perhaps only Detroit’s Calvin Johnson.

The Cowboys clearly believe that a singular talent like Dez Bryant has more value, not only due to his production, but also his durability, the potential length of his career and the availability (or lack thereof) of other peer talents.

On the other hand, Murray’s success was dependent upon the tight play of the Cowboys’ offensive front five. As such, Dallas may be forced to part ways with Murray when he hits the open market.

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