National Football League

Report: Cowboys plan to host RB Melvin Gordon

Published Mar. 19, 2015 6:15 p.m. ET

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From a numbers standpoint, at least, the Dallas Cowboys have addressed the loss of DeMarco Murray from their locker room -- but don't expect them to stop there.

The team signed Darren McFadden to a modest free-agent contract last week, and offered Lance Dunbar a restricted free-agent tender to keep him in Dallas for at least one more season. If training camp started this weekend, the Cowboys would have a foursome of backs -- McFadden, Dunbar, Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams -- to help offset Murray's departure to Philadelphia.

Despite all of that, it's entirely plausible they could address the position in six weeks at the 2015 NFL Draft -- an idea that is apparently backed up by their pre-draft visits. According to a report from The Dallas Morning News, the club plans to host Melvin Gordon at Valley Ranch in the weeks before the draft.

That in itself isn't breaking news. All 32 NFL clubs are allowed to host up to 30 prospects at their facility prior to the draft. The Cowboys wound up hosting their eventual first-round pick in each of the past two years, as both Travis Frederick and Zack Martin made visits to Valley Ranch.

Gordon and Georgie standout Todd Gurley are widely regarded as the top two running back prospects in this draft, so it shouldn't be surprising to see the Cowboys evaluate them. It goes beyond that, though, as Cowboys officials are convinced that running back is one of the deepest positions in this class.

Gordon and Gurley are both considered possibilities for the Cowboys' No. 27 overall pick, but if they decide to wait a bit there are several other options. Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, Boise State's Jay Ajayi, Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Alabama's T.J. Yeldon and Minnesota's David Cobb are all high-caliber backs who could come into play in either the second or third rounds.

It remains to be seen who will get to fill the void left by Murray, but the Cowboys clearly intend to let several guys get a shot.

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