The Dallas Cowboys saw a great deal of success last season because they put emphasis on the run game. DeMarco Murray led the league in rushing behind an improved offensive line. Entering 2015, the Cowboys are about to see just how good that offensive line really is because Murray is long gone and Darren McFadden comes in after a disappointing stint with the Oakland Raiders. Will the Cowboys be forced to make another move at the position?
According to head coach Jason Garrett, the Cowboys are still going to operate under a run-first mentality despite losing Murray to the Philadelphia Eagles. Are contract negotiations failed, Murray left and the Cowboys were forced to sign McFadden in hopes that he can save his career under an improved offensive line. Garrett has full confidence the offense will not suffer. After telling the media that run-first is a good style of football to play, a reiterated the desire to have kept Murray for the long-term,
"DeMarco is a great football player and a great young man,'' Garrett said, via the Dallas Morning News. "What he was able to do for our ball club last year was phenomenal. He had a huge impact on the success that we had. We wanted him to be a Cowboy not just for this coming year but for many years to come. ... Unfortunately that didn't work out. Now we have to move on and make the next best decision for our team.''
The Cowboys have MdFadden, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams as their running back rotation entering 2015, but that inspires very little confidence since all of those players lack either speed or the ability to be the workhorse. The Cowboys will have to make a move either in free agency or the draft to acquire someone that can truly set up the ground game for the future.
Dallas has been linked to trades for both Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte. However, neither deal is likely to be finalized given the opposing team's unwillingness to make a trade and the fact that the Cowboys are limited in what salaries they can take on. That leaves the draft as the best option as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr believes Dallas will make a move on a running back in an early round. The best options available are Todd Gurley, TJ Yeldon and Melvin Gordan. It can be expected that at least one of those backs joins the Cowboys for 2015.
