With 534 yards on the ground through the first four weeks of the season, Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray is racking up an average of more than 133 yards per game, giving him a huge early-season lead for the rushing title — Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell is second in the NFL with 378 rushing yards. Predictably, Murray earns a spot atop Jason Fitzgerald’s list of players whose Week 4 performances improved their values in advance of approaching contract negotiations. As Fitzgerald writes in his piece at Over The Cap, a big year for Murray could allow him to land a deal that averages $7-8MM annually, which would help stabilize the declining running back market a little.
Here’s more on the 3-1 Cowboys:
- After going through a little drama last week relating to his spot on the Cowboys’ depth chart, defensive back Morris Claiborne saw his season take a more unfortunate turn on Sunday night. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter), the team fears that Claiborne has a torn ACL and will be lost for the season. An MRI today is expected to confirm that diagnosis.
- Linebacker Bruce Carter will also undergo an MRI today after injuring his quad last night, but his injury isn’t viewed as serious, says Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’ve got good strength and everything, so we’ll see,” Carter said. “It’s sore, but I’m moving around good.”
- While Josh Brent will still miss the first 10 games of this season due to his suspension, the terms of that ban have been modified to allow him to return to the team’s facilities this week, Davison writes in a separate Star-Telegram piece. Brent still won’t be able to practice yet, but he’ll be permitted to work out and attend team meetings.