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But this morning, the Eagles agreed to terms on a five-year $42 million contract with DeMarco Murray that will lure the NFL’s leading rusher and two-time Pro Bowl halfback away from Eagles’ division rivals.
As ESPN's Adam Schefter put it, "Who knew that one of the single most significant off-season decisions would be Frank Gore changing his mind about going to Philadelphia?"
Murray's deal will apparently include $21 million guaranteed. As Profootballtalk.com points out, at $8.2 million per, Murray will make more in Philly than McCoy ($8 million annually) will make in Buffalo over five years.
According to Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, "The end result could be that Chip Kelly has another workhorse tailback who is cheaper than his last workhorse tailback and who has 656 fewer career touches than the guy who was shipped to Buffalo."
NFL.com's Conor Orr notes that Murray, the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year scared off a few teams interested in offering him a big deal after a career-high 392 regular season carries. Murray finished with a career high in yards, 1,845, and touchdowns, 13, as well. Now he'll be the between-the-tackles runner that Kelly wanted McCoy to be.
Schefter first reported Wednesday night that Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler who last season led the NFL in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, called Kelly recently to inquire about mutual interest.
On Wednesday, new Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, a former college teammate of Murray’s at Oklahoma, said he had been lobbying Murray into a reunion in Philly.
Schefter reported that the Eagles “have been very serious about courting Murray” and added that Murray is planning on joining Kelly’s team.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how a Murray signing would affect Mathews' status with the Eagles. Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport are both reporting that Mathews is still going to sign with the Eagles and that he and Murray will now share the backfield.
With Darren Sproles.
From a fantasy perspective, we'd all like to see Murray and Mathews play true featured roles on their own. But NFL Network's Brian Baldinger suggested that with Bradford under center, the Eagles will be running the ball plenty -- perhaps up to 600 times -- this year.
For some perspective, the Texans, with 551 rushing plays, led the NFL in 2014. Four teams (Houston, Seattle, Dallas and the New York Jets ran the ball 500 times or more).
So 600 might be a reach, but the point is taken.
Back in Dallas. ... Many observers expected the Cowboys to retain Murray who would continue working behind the division's nastiest offensive line, which led to a breakout season in Texas last year. Clearly, teams around the league credited that offensive line with a lot of Murray's success. And as free agency began to surge, it became apparent that Murray and Jerry Jones had grown a little distant.
Jones just didn't know he'd end up in the division.
So, as Orr summed up, it goes for a Cowboys team that simply needed to pay other stars and allocate funds elsewhere. Murray was the lifeblood of their offense in 2014 and expected to be paid like it the following year. While some teams have taken the time this offseason to show appreciation for their power backs, like Seattle did with Marshawn Lynch, Dallas was comfortable enough letting the NFL's leading rusher slip away -- the first time that's happened since 1947.
According to Rapoport, the Cowboys will now focus on the NFL Draft to find their next feature back.