While Dez Bryant's contract situation has stolen the headlines over the past couple of weeks in Dallas Cowboys land, DeMarco Murray has seen his record-pace workload diminished fairly significantly over the past couple of games heading into the Cowboys' bye week this past week.
Both of those guys will be free agents following this season, and with quarterback Tony Romo locked up for the rest of his career, the Cowboys have some decisions to make on the other two-thirds of the new version of The Triplets.
The assumption is that the Cowboys will defy Bryant's wishes and, in reality, empty threats by placing the franchise tag on the star receiver, something they can do for the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Bryant having no real say in the matter. It was also assumed the Cowboys would simply ride Murray into the ground this year, let him set the NFL single-season rushing record with 400 carries and then let him walk in free agency with the thought he'd never again be the same.
However, the Cowboys have reined in Murray's workload in recent weeks, so how's this for a suggestion: Put the franchise tag on a less dramatic Murray and give Bryant the contract he wants, or at least a reasonable deal for someone of his talent and starpower, and make no mistake, he's right up there with Calvin Johnson in the discussion for the greatest wide receiver in the game right now.
That way you get Murray on a one-year deal for 2015 and can see how his body responds to the workload this year, and you have your No. 1 receiver locked up for four or five years. Think about it, Jerry.
