The Dallas Cowboys, apparently, stuck to their $5 million per year figure for DeMarco Murray.
That's fine, but their stance also means they won't have the player who was their MVP last year.
The Philadelphia Eagles came through with a deal that will average $8.4 million per season, according to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson. ESPN's Adam Schefter said the expected deal is five years worth $42 million with up to $21 million guaranteed ($18 million guaranteed for skill and injury reasons). Barring an incredible turn of events, Murray will be headed to Philadelphia?
"It was never about the money," Murray told ESPN.com's Todd Archer. "I could've taken that a long time ago. It's about winning a Super Bowl & being fair."
As good the Murray signing could be for the Eagles, it's a definite blow for the Cowboys, no matter how much Murray was paid.
The Cowboys built a NFC East championship team (and maybe it would have been more if not for the Dez Bryant non-catch call in Green Bay) around Murray. It might be an antiquated notion to have a tailback be a team's foundation, but the Cowboys did it well. Murray led the league in rushing. Tony Romo thrived with less pressure on his shoulders. The defense improved greatly, in part because the offense sustained drives with Murray and kept them from having to be on the field too much.
So assuming Murray's deal becomes official, what happens now with the Cowboys moving forward?
Expect a ton of Adrian Peterson rumors to start. While that seems like a Jerry Jones type of move, there are more than a few hurdles, not the least of which is that Peterson is still under contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Also, the Cowboys just proved they don't want to overpay a tailback. If the Cowboys can get Peterson without mortgaging their franchise, it makes sense. But let's put this in the "Chip Kelly is going to trade 20 draft picks for Marcus Mariota, I heard that from a friend of a cousin who works for an NFL team" bin for now and consider other options.
The Cowboys still have probably the best offensive line in football, so they don't necessarily need a Peterson or a Murray to have a successful running game. That's also not to say Joseph Randle or Lance Dunbar, Murray's backups, are ready to be the foundation of the Cowboys.
Free agency still has some interesting pieces. Ryan Mathews might be the collateral damage from the Eagles signing Murray; he had reportedly agreed to a deal but that was before the better option was available to Chip Kelly. He is a very talented back but rarely healthy. With Justin Forsett coming to an agreement to return to the Baltimore Ravens (via ESPN's Adam Schefter), C.J. Spiller, Stevan Ridley and Reggie Bush are among the top free-agent backs still available on Thursday afternoon. None of them have played at the level Murray did in 2014.
The draft has a few running backs, and there are many intriguing backs in this class. If Georgia's Todd Gurley isn't available when the Cowboys draft 27th overall (what a good fit that seems like, though he could be gone), then Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon should be. There will be value after the first round too. It'll just be tough to ask any rookie to come in and do what Murray did, carrying nearly 400 times and being a physical, drive-sustaining back like Murray was.
Perhaps the Cowboys will come up with some combination of a free agent and a rookie pick to replace Murray. But what Murray did for the 2014 Cowboys is unlikely to be replicated. It makes sense that the Cowboys didn't want to overpay Murray after he had so many touches last year. But it doesn't mean they also won't regret not bringing Murray back.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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