NFL News: DeMarco Murray To Philadelphia Eagles In 5-Year $42M Deal
The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles just got even more heated after star running back DeMarco Murray has reportedly committed to the Eagles in the latest free agent signing in this offseason of the National Football League, or NFL. The 27 year old running back who has played the past four seasons with Dallas, will be moving to Philadelphia with a new five-year deal worth $42 million.
Adam Schefter, an NFL Insider for ESPN, reported the deal on Twitter and added that $21M of the contract is guaranteed for one of the most coveted free agents entering the 2015 NFL Season.
Philadelphia recovered in this offseason after Frank Gore, another running back they showed interest in earlier in March, decided not to sign with the Eagles and chose to sign with the Indianapolis Colts. The Eagles also traded away star RB LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the offseason. McCoy has a similar deal worth more than $40 million for five years with the Bills.
"We are very grateful to DeMarco Murray for his contributions to the Dallas Cowboys," Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner, said in an official statement. "He is a quality person, a very good football player, and a player that we wanted to keep. We have great appreciation for his skills, and if there was no salary cap in place, DeMarco would be a Cowboy."
Murray was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was the league’s rushing leader in the 2014 regular season running for 1,845 on 392 carries with 13 touchdowns. He has made the NFL Pro Bowl squad in 2013 and 2014 and was also the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2014.
Murray’s 2014 performance was crucial in Dallas’ 2014 run to the postseason. The Cowboys finished 12-4 in the regular season to win the NFC East and two games ahead of Philadelphia, which finished 10-6 in the regular season. Dallas beat the Detroit Lions, 24-20 in the wild card game but lost to the Green Bay Packers, 26-21 in the divisional round match-up. The Eagles landed at 7th place in the NFC and missed the postseason.
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