According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles and running back DeMarco Murray are headed toward a “stare-down” regarding his future with the team.
Murray signed a five-year deal $42 million deal with the Eagles just last March. Coming off of a rushing championship, Murray rushed for only 702 yards and a pedestrian 3.6 yards per carry for the Eagles in 2015. Viewed by since-fired coach Chip Kelly as the perfect replacement for LeSean McCoy, Murray spent most of the 2015 season in the proverbial Philadelphia doghouse.
Coupled with his immense contact and below average on-field performance, Rapoport says that sources have indicated that the Eagles and Murray are headed down an unfriendly path in regards to his future. That would suggest the team cutting Murray, or exploring a trade.
Releasing the player would cost the Eagles about $13 million in dead money on the cap if they were to cut him pre-June 1. With the Eagles locking up several players to long-term, big money contracts recently, it’s highly unlikely that they’d like to add a heap of dead money at this time, or any time for that matter. The Eagles aren’t dumb enough to do that.
Trading the player would also present large obstacles, too. Rapoport suggests that the Raiders, Cowboys and Seahawks would have a keen eye on the situation going forward. There’s a division rival and a conference rival in there. And the Raiders. That doesn’t even mention the mammoth contract that Murray has, either. It’s not feasible to expect one of those teams to offer much more than a late, or maybe even conditional pick for his services. And even at that, the Eagles won’t be giving away a guy for peanuts who could burn them as early as two times a year or down the road in the playoffs.
And if Murray is feeling “uncomfortable” with the team as Rapoport said in his piece, then DeMarco clearly has not witnessed what has happened this offseason at NovaCare. The man who put him in the doghouse is gone. Chip Kelly said that running backs coach Duce Staley had control over which back got carries and which didn’t, but I wouldn’t believe that for a second. Kelly was coaching for his job every week, and he ran out of time trying to get Murray going.
Murray seemed like a great fit for Kelly’s running game. Kelly even said that he wanted more of a North-South runner, unlike the East-West style of LeSean McCoy. Well, he told us that, anyways. But Murray got his in Dallas sitting five yards behind center, charging aggressively at the line of scrimmage. For whatever reason his vision taking handoffs out of the shotgun didn’t produce like the single set formations did. It just didn’t work, but that doesn’t mean that him and the Eagles won’t work. After all, Kelly and the Eagles didn’t work.
The Eagles’ brass -Owner Jeff Lurie, President of Football Ops Howie Roseman, whoever really- should explain this to Murray. The two parties need to clear the air because they’re stuck with each other for the time being, and don’t they know it.
There’s a new regime in town in head coach Doug Pederson. He runs the West Coast Offense, which emphasizes a short to intermediate passing game, but also produces plenty of productive backs. Look at how Jamaal Charles has been used in Kansas City, he’s had over 1,000 yards in two of the three seasons he stayed healthy in Andy Reid’s West Coast scheme. Life could be that good for DeMarco under Pederson, too.
If the Eagles don’t re-sign QB Sam Bradford, they’ll pick a rookie quarterback early in the 2016 draft and likely used a veteran stopgap for some or all of the season. Murray will get the ball a ton and have every opportunity to show that he’s the same game-changing back he was in Dallas. He could even use 2016 as an audition for his next team, if he wants to get out of Philly that bad.
Not to mention the Eagles will probably dump one of Darren Sproles, Ryan Mathews or both if the right offer comes along. Both have value around and could generate a pick to help the (possibly) rebuilding Eagles. Their absence would also pave the way for more DeMarco carries and he’d be the alpha dog once again.
Because of the nature of Murray’s contract, he’s the back that’s most likely to be back in 2016. If he can swallow his pride and accept that 2015 was a disaster, he could have a huge comeback year in 2016 for the Eagles.
That should be his -and the Eagles’ focus- not having awkward stare-downs.
Those awkward stare-downs are for Roseman, and whoever the poor candidates for the Eagles’ player personnel job are.
WITH BIAS 