DeMarco Murray is running away with the rushing yards title in the 2014 NFL season, but will that performance earn him a bigger contract this offseason or will it be used as leverage against him?
As the Dallas Cowboys inch closer to Best Team in Football status (if they aren’t already there), the team must look ahead to beyond this season when they look to lock up the talent at hand in order to maintain their level of excellence shown in the first two months of the 2014 season. That starts first and foremost with running back DeMarco Murray, who’s making defenses look foolish behind that hulking offensive line.
More from Dallas Cowboys
- 3 Cowboys who won’t be on the roster after training camp
- Stephen Jones poorly tried to justify Cowboys’ negotiations with Tony Pollard
- Cowboys: Jerry Jones puts the pressure on Dak Prescott
- Cowboys give a masterclass in defense construction with Trevon Diggs extension
- Ranking the Cowboys top training camp priorities after Zack Martin mess
Murray is on pace for a 2,000 yard season as he continues his historic run of 100-yard games to start an NFL season. One would assume he’s in line for a massive pay day in money and term. Not so, says Andrew Brandt at MMQB, who did a great job of breaking down the running back conundrum. That is, the idea that running backs hold their highest value when they’re young and by the time they play into a big contract situation, they’re already over the peak and thus expendable to the GM negotiating across the table.
It’s a harsh reality of the NFL and one that could be hard to fix. As Brandt notes:
"With the shortest shelf life of all NFL positions, management knows a running back’s end of the line comes earlier in the career arc than other positions. There is data to prove it, with a graveyard of bad second and third contracts given to running backs such as Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, Corey Dillon, Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James to name a few. More recently, top-of-market deals given to players such as Chris Johnson, Michael Turner and Steven Jackson have proven to be poor investments."
Even going back to Larry Johnson and others before them, handing out top dollar to running backs is rarely if ever a wise managerial decision because A) running backs wear out quicker than other positional players and B) there’s always a younger running back waiting in the wings to offer at least 80-90% of the production you got from a big name.
DeMarco Murray will struggle with this concept in the winter. Every yard he produces this season will be used against him at the negotiating table. Just don’t hold it against him when he uses whatever leverage he can to secure every dollar possible. This will probably be the only big pay day of his career.
More from FanSided
- NFL rumors: Aaron Rodgers sets Jets up for Super Bowl run with new contract
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers land Amed Rosario from Guardians
- Colorado gives Pac-12 a possible death knell with move to Big 12
- NFL rumors: Dalvin Cook suitor maintaining very ‘real’ interest
- Braves get dose of bad news on Max Fried as ace nears return