The Dallas Cowboys acquired linebacker Kenneth Murray and a seventh-round draft choice in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, in a deal that is drawing biting criticism.
Dallas is looking to add playmakers to a defense that was decimated by injuries last season and wilted down the stretch.
However, not everyone is convinced that Murray has the potential to be a difference-maker.
ESPN’s Seth Walder gave the Cowboys a “C-” for the trade to acquire Murray.
“His numbers aren’t ideal, though,” Walder writes of Murray. “Murray’s 24% run stop win rate last season ranked fifth worst among off-ball linebackers with at least 300 snaps played. It was a career low for Murray, but he always has been below average in that category.
“He showed some pass-rushing skills in Tennessee, with 11 pass rush wins and a 28% pass rush win rate — a good figure for an off-ball linebacker. But that’s a small piece of what he does. His nearest defender coverage metrics are about average, but the run-stopping numbers are a red flag.”
Murray is due to make $7.5 million, a year removed from 95 total tackles with 3.5 sacks for the Titans, and may need to make a significant impact as a pass rusher to make the Cowboys’ commitment worthwhile. Especially after former Cowboys edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence departed to sign with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency.
The 26-year-old former first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has produced 416 total tackles with 8.5 sacks and three interceptions through the first five seasons of his career.
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