NFL Dallas Cowboys

Adrian Peterson And DeMarco Murray Cannot Coexist On Dallas Cowboys

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Dallas Cowboys DeMarco Murray

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is infatuated with running back Adrian Peterson. Jones wants him to be a Cowboy, and Peterson, who is from Texas, wants to play in his home state.

Despite the Cowboys’ current runner, DeMarco Murray, playing at an All-Pro level, Dallas might be looking for another option in 2015 with Murray set to become a free agent. The most likely scenario is that the Cowboys resign Murray to a long-term deal and let someone else deal with Peterson. Knowing Jones, however, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him make the bone-headed move of having both running backs in Dallas next year.

There were rumors earlier in the season that Jones and Peterson were texting back and forth about a potential move to bring Peterson to Dallas. At that point in time, that kind of move seemed pretty far-fetched. The Minnesota Vikings had built a team around the All-Pro running back and had him locked up through his prime.

This was all before Peterson’s child abuse issues came to light. Because of his legal problems, Peterson is suspended for the rest of the 2014 season and his status in Minnesota is questionable. The Vikings may want to avoid any more connection to Peterson and could look at cutting or trading him.

Enter Jones. If anyone is willing to make a move for Peterson, it is Jones. He is smitten with the idea of having Peterson in the backfield for Dallas. Throughout his time with the Cowboys, Jones has never shied away from controversy and could absolutely deal with the media circus that will surround Peterson for the rest of his career. If Jones wants to make a move to get Peterson, not a lot will stop him, whether it is for the good of the team or not.

When he makes that decision, the real question then becomes: What about Murray?

Dallas is running Murray into the ground this season, and it is paying off both in his statistics and in the team’s win column. Murray is a one-man wrecking crew and is on track to touch the ball almost 400 times. Such a high number of touches could mean death for a running back’s legs, but Murray is still only 26 years old and should have plenty of life left in his legs after this season.

With the numbers that Murray is putting up, it would be unbelievable if the Cowboys did not try to retain his services. Really, the only way Murray shouldn’t be in Dallas is if another team drastically over pays for him, which is always a possibility. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, no one knows what Jones is thinking except for Jones himself and the reality is, if Jones wants a player, he gets that player.

If the rumors about the text messages between Jones and Peterson are true, then it is obvious that Jones wants Peterson in blue and silver. If this happens, and the Cowboys want to retain Murray, then there will be an overcrowded backfield in Dallas next year. With great skill comes great ego, and Peterson and Murray both have skill coming out of their ears. It is hard to imagine that, after the career paths that these two guys have taken, either one of them would be willing to split carries next season.

Both players are still in their prime, with Murray being a bit closer to it than Peterson, and putting them into the same backfield could bring more issues than rewards.

As tempting as Peterson’s talent is for any NFL team, Jones needs to realize that the running back that should be in Dallas is already there. Murray is younger and has proven that he fits in the Cowboys’ offense. If Jones chooses to bring in Peterson next season, he should let another team sign Murray because having both runners in the same backfield is a recipe for disaster.

No matter which back Jones decides to go with next year, in no universe is having both guys in Dallas a good idea.

Andrew Lenz is a Blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RealAndyLenz, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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