Stephen Jones convinced father Jerry Jones not to overpay for DeMarco Murray

Son of Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, Stephen, convinced his father not to overpay for DeMarco Murray and let him walk.

It seems like there is a voice of reason emerging in the front office of the Dallas Cowboys.

Owner Jerry Jones has always been an emotional guy, and there has been many times in the best he’s let his emotions dictate his decision making. He has always been a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy and not afraid to open his pockets and, in the past, it has put the franchise in difficult positions financially.

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Jerry was ready to do that again with free agent running back DeMarco Murray, who is just coming off a career year for the Cowboys. Murray started all 16 games for the first time in his four-year career, compiling 1,845 rushing yards on 392 attempts and 13 rushing touchdowns, all career highs by far. He also added 416 receiving yards on 57 catches and 64 targets. which were also all career highs. DeMarco Murray was arguable the best running back in the NFL last season, statistically speaking.

Obviously, after being the most effective running back in the NFL, DeMarco Murray wants to be compensated as such. Jerry Jones was most likely ready to break the bank to keep Murray in Dallas. However, his son, Stephen, came in as the voice of reason, per Yahoo Sports.

Stephen realizes that, not to diminish what DeMarco Murray accomplished last season, Murray was the product of a dominant offensive line that gave him all kinds of room to run and was able to keep him healthy. Murray is also 27 years old, so Stephen realizes that breaking the bank for a running back that is entering his declining years simply does not make sense.

Instead, Stephen offered Murray a contract at approximately $5 million per year, and would not budge from that offer. Stephen has been concerned about the Cowboys’ salary cap situation and how a vast majority of the cap has gone to the offensive side of the ball. Nearly $61 million of the Cowboys; cap is wrapped up in just four offensive players (Romo – $27.7 million, Zach Smith – $13 million before the restructure, Bryant – $12.8 million, and tight end Jason Witten – $8.5 million). Stephen thought that offering Murray anything more than $5 million per would hurt the franchise in the long-run financially.

So, Stephen stuck with his $5 million per year offer and let Murray walk to the rival Philadelphia Eagles for $8 million per year for five years.

The Cowboys just signed a much cheaper option in former Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden at two years, $5.85 million. The Cowboys will most certainly be looking for another back, either through free agency, trade or the draft, as McFadden hasn’t been able to healthy at all. Still, McFadden can be serviceable running behind that Dallas offensive line.

Stephen seems to be having more of a voice in the front office, and he’s beginning to take the Cowboys down a more conservative road. Most Cowboys fans are probably livid they let DeMarco Murray walk but, in the long run, it will be better for the franchise.

H/T Yahoo Sports

Son of Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, Stephen, convinced his father not to overpay for DeMarco Murray and let him walk.

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