DeMarco Murray is coming off an outstanding season in Dallas. He racked up an NFL-best 1,845 rushing yards, a 4.7 yards per carry average, 13 rushing touchdowns and 57 catches during the regular season. Murray is an excellent downhill runner, strong in protection and a valuable receiver out of the backfield. He is also a free agent.
Now, there are some negatives to signing this player.
Murray has a somewhat extensive injury history, going back to his days at Oklahoma, and even more troubling, he touched the ball a simply amazing 497 times (regular season and playoffs). It is well-known that running backs have historically not been nearly as productive after such massive-workload seasons.
Plus, Murray ran behind the best offensive line in the NFL in 2014, and though he is certainly a good player, he is not an elite talent. Murray wasn't as productive late in the season as he was at the beginning. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry in Week 13 and a combined 2.6 in Weeks 15 and 16 -- those totals could be a bad omen for his upcoming productivity.
Finally, not only are running backs not sought-after and paid like they once were, but this incoming draft class is also loaded at the position, and there are several other prominent, free-agent backs hitting the market. Bottom line: While the Cowboys could certainly end up bringing him back, there's a decent chance Murray will be playing for a new team next season.
Taking all this into consideration, which teams might have interest in adding Murray?