Hey there Cowboys fans, I’ve saved the best for last.
Running Back is the last in the Free Agency series. With DeMarco Murray coming
off of 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, he will be asking for a contract in the
$11-13 Million/year range. I don’t believe you can give ANY running back a
five-year contract anymore. Running backs don’t hold up over time like they
used to. This draft class is rich with talent and there are some very capable
backs available in free agency. Let’s assume DeMarco bolts in free agency and
Joseph Randle is released, then these three could be targets for 1-2 year
contracts with the Cowboys along with drafting a back for the future.
C. J. Spiller 5-11 200
78 carries 300 yards 0 TD (8 games)
C.J. has the speed that every team covets. In 2012 amassed
1,700 total yards. The Cowboys showed interest for Spiller at the trade
deadline last year. Still a good kick returner as well. Could fill multiple
needs for the Cowboys should they move on from Dwayne Harris as the return specialist. I would really like to see what C.J. could do running behind Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick. Contract should be around $3-4 million.
Darren McFadden 6-1 218
155 carries 534 yards 2 TD’s
Similar size and speed of DeMarco Murray but that’s where
the comparison ends. The hope is that McFadden has the drive prove he was a
high draft pick in 2008. He has rushed for 1,000 or more yards only once in
seven seasons. McFadden does have good hands out of the backfield and is a
capable blocker. He still possesses good straight-line speed. May be worth a
shot for $1-2 million.
Mark Ingram 5-9 215
226 carries 964 yards 9 TD’s (13 games)
Coming off of a career year in 2014, Ingram finally got the
chance to get most of the carries for New Orleans and it paid off. Ingram has battled
injuries throughout his career, having played 16 games once (2012). A different
style back compared to McFadden and Spiller, Ingram doesn’t have the same
speed, but does have better power and vision. He would give the Cowboys a solid
goal-line back and would allow them to draft a speed back in round 3 or 4.
Should cost somewhere around $3-4 million.
I like all three of these backs for different reasons. With
the assumption that the Cowboys will be using running back by committee instead
of one lead back; you could pair any one of these backs with your draft pick
and have a good combination of speed and power. The bad news about these backs
is they each have had injuries, but the good news is they don’t have many miles
on the tires. The Cowboys have been linked to each of these players over the
years so we will see what happens in the near future.
Check out my other blogs here: http://talkinsportswithgeoff.blogspot.com/
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