The Dallas Cowboys are currently sitting in the prime years of the best running back the franchise has had in 20 years, since the heyday of Emmitt Smith.
DeMarco Murray is big, strong, fast, runs hard and has all the tools to be an elite back in the NFL, and he showed that when given the chance in 2013. In fact, over the second half of the season, the Cowboys were one of the league's top rushing teams despite being near the bottom of the league in rushing attempts per game. You can go ahead and do the math and reasoning, but it pretty much tells you what you need to know. Murray is really pretty freakin' good.
The advent of Scott Linehan as the Cowboys' new play-caller raises some questions as to how much Murray will be handed the ball given Linehan's past in Detroit with the Lions' high-flying passing game. And make no mistake, he has tools at his disposal in Dallas to do the same thing Matt Stafford and Megatron did in Detroit with a healthy Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.
But please take our advice here, Scott.
Give Murray the damn ball, and do it a lot.
We're talking 20 touches at a minimum against a wounded San Francisco defense, and if a few of those come through the air, that's fine too.
All we've heard this offseason is how great the Cowboys' young offensive line is and how it's one of the best in the league all the sudden. It's still hard to buy that fact, but if it's true, it's even more reason to lean on the big boys up front, on which you've spent first-round draft picks the past three seasons.
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Murray has a chance to be really special and have a breakout season this year, which is really something he began over that second half of the season last year, even with his limited touches. Now, Linehan and Jason Garrett just need to make it happen.
