The Dallas Cowboys allowed DeMarco Murray to walk in free agency, banking on Joseph Randle and hoping regrets wouldn’t creep into the picture. After Randle’s release just eight weeks into the 2015 NFL season, it would be easy to second-guess the decision.
According to Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press, however, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team would make the same choice even if given a do-over.
“That ship’s sailed. We’d make that decision over, same decision, we’d make it again. We have to develop, structure a football team with the salary cap. You can’t pay a top receiver, a top quarterback, a top pass rusher, a top left tackle. You’ve got to make hard decisions.”
While Jones is known to occasionally spout off, saying Dallas wouldn’t change anything is perfectly believable.
The Cowboys have cap issues, but that’s a product of having great players. Quarterback Tony Romo deserves every bit of his $108 million salary, and the offense’s issues without him should be enough evidence of why.
Additionally, Dallas needs to pay wide receiver Dez Bryant—who is arguably the league’s best receiver—as well as defensive end Greg Hardy and star left tackle Tyron Smith. Hardy takes a lot of deserved criticism and his place in the league is a reasonable discussion, but there’s no denying he’s an elite pass-rusher.
Teams must make cap decisions, and running back is almost always an easier spot to replace than quarterback, receiver, left tackle and defensive end.
The Cowboys had faith in Randle, but it didn’t pay off. Nevertheless, that doesn’t make Dallas’ decision to not re-sign Murray worth regrets.