The NFL Draft lasted three days. Went seven rounds. And during that time the Cowboys selected eight players. Other NFL teams combined to pick 19 running backs.
But in the end, Dallas decided to deliver an undeniable slap in the face to DeMarco Murray.
Make no mistake, by losing the NFL’s leading rusher in free agency and then not drafting his replacement, the Cowboys are saying loud and clear that all those yards were the product not of their running back, but their offensive line.
Bottom line: Behind Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick, Murray’s production can be approached by a committee of backs including Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams.
Said owner Jerry Jones after the draft, “We weren’t trying to make the point that we didn’t need Murray.”
But what other way is there to decipher the message?
Top runners Todd Gurley (10th) and Melvin Gordon (15th) were off the board long before the Cowboys started stockpiling defensive players at No. 27, but they had their chance to land a back with an impressive college pedigree.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon went 36th. Miami’s Duke Johnson was taken 77th. Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, who was invited to the team’s recent Dallas Day tryouts, fell all the way to the 5th round.
Added Jones, “We would’ve liked to have drafted a running back, but by the same token, we didn’t think at any given time we should pass on the player that was there.”
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
