Jerry Jones on losing DeMarco Murray: 'We needed the cap room'
For the first time this offseason, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened up about losing out on the NFL's leading rusher in 2014, DeMarco Murray. The Philadelphia Eagles offered Murray a lucrative multi-year contract that Jones was unwilling to match and the rest was history. Jones admitted to USA Today that Murray's absence cannot be overlooked.
"We'd love to have Murray," Jones said to USA Today. "We had to take a little step back to go forward."
Allowing Murray to walk was a piece to Jones' offseason blueprint that came around in real time. With the Cowboys' salary cap situation in mind, Jones had to make a difficult decision to let Murray walk. Ultimately, he believed that this decision allowed the team to sign players at other positions that may have a greater impact on the team's prospects in 2015.
"We needed that cap room," Jones said of letting Murray walk. "That's risky. Yet it freed up the cap room that we could use to make other moves."
Third year running back Joseph Randle opened up OTAs with the Cowboys' first-team offense. If he can form a formidable committee with Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and possibly Ryan Williams, Jones' master plan may end up making him look like a very smart man.
Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports
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