Goose: If Cowboys are looking, Frisco Liberty star Jay Ajayi qualifies as lead back

[Midswat]

INDIANAPOLIS — TCU looked at Frisco Liberty running back Jay Ajayi in 2010.

So did Baylor.

So did North Texas.

But in the end, none deemed Ajayi worthy of a scholarship. His 2,240 yards and 35 touchdowns in the state’s second-largest classification were impressive but not impressive enough for any Texas school to offer to pay for his education.

So the Collin County player of the year had to leave the state to continue his football career at Boise State.

I bet TCU, Baylor and North Texas would all like to turn back the clock now for a do-over.

Ajayi attended the NFL scouting combine last week as one of the top running backs in the 2015 draft. A two-year starter and two-time All-Mountain West pick, Ajayi gave up his senior season to turn pro.

He had nothing left to prove at the college level.

Ajayi (6-0, 221 pounds) rushed for 1,823 yards last season and tied Doak Walker Award winner Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin for the NCAA scoring title with his 192 points on 32 touchdowns. He also became the only back in FBS history with 1,800 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season.

And to think he could have done all that for a Texas school.

“Being from Texas, you want to stay in state so your parents and family can watch you every weekend,” Ajayi said of his recruitment. “So that was a little disappointing.

“But I’m not disappointed with the outcome of my decision to attend Boise State. We were able to accomplish a lot at Boise State, and I’m here today because of that decision.”

Texas was once one-stop shopping for running backs. Earl Campbell, Billy Sims, Eric Dickerson, Thurman Thomas, Priest Holmes, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jamaal Charles all hailed from Texas. If you wanted a runner, you went to Texas.

But of late the recruiting focus in the state has shifted to quarterbacks. Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford, Robert Griffin III, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton and Ryan Tannehill all now start in the NFL. If you want a thrower, you go to Texas.

So occasionally the great runner slips through the cracks and must go to a Boise State.

But there may finally be a Texas team that does want Ajayi — the Cowboys. With NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray in limbo as the NFL speeds toward free agency, the Cowboys may soon be in the market for a lead back in this draft.

Ajayi would qualify.

“Growing up and watching the Cowboys, watching Emmitt Smith and how great a running back he was, it really motivated me to try to do great things just like him,” Ajayi said.

Great things are what Ajayi gave the Broncos. He set school records for carries (347), yards, rushing touchdowns (28) and touchdowns last season. He slapped 229 yards and five touchdowns on Utah State and 219 yards and two touchdowns on Colorado State.

When Ajayi was asked to step up in competition, he did. In the season opener against Ole Miss, he rushed 20 times for 94 yards and also caught 12 passes for another 93 yards and a touchdown. In the season finale against Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl, he rushed 22 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns.

In 678 career carries, Ajayi averaged 5.6 yards per rush with 50 touchdowns. He caught touchdown passes a year ago of 75 and 73 yards and also had three career scoring runs of 70-plus yards.

“Matt Forte, DeMarco Murray, Arian Foster and Marshawn Lynch are the four guys I patterned my game after,” Ajayi said. “Their styles of play, their completeness and being on the field all three downs. …

“The tenacity that Marshawn runs with is something I’ve tried to put in my game as well, fighting for every yard after contact. Those are the top backs in the NFL and that’s what I’m working toward.”

One NFL general manager told me there could be as many as nine running backs selected in the first three rounds of this draft. Ajayi will be among them. There will be a much greater demand for his services coming out of college than there was coming out of high school.

 

[Midswat]

INDIANAPOLIS – Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne is from Harrisburg, Pa., the same town as Philadelphia All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy. Artis-Payne grew up rooting for the Eagles.

Does that mean it would be weird if the rival Cowboys draft him in a couple months?

“Not at all,” he said. “Anybody that is going to draft me, I would love to play for them. I spoke to them yesterday. That would be a great fit. They obviously run the ball a lot.”

Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said Thursday that Dallas has plans to meet with “all those top backs.”

“This draft is actually heavy as it has been in running backs,” Jones said. “This is one of the strongest years it has ever been for running back.”

Jones insisted that the depth has not been playing a role in contract talks with DeMarco Murray.

Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon are regarded by many experts as the top two running backs in this class. As of Thursday afternoon, neither had met with the Cowboys. But that doesn’t mean they won’t visit later this week.

Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, Florida State’s Karlos Williams and Boise State’s Jay Ajayi have all met with the Cowboys.

If Dallas drafted Ajayi, who attended Frisco Liberty, he would become the fourth Boise State player on the Cowboys roster, joining Orlando Scandrick, Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence.

“It feels good to know that teams like the Cowboys really enjoy drafting Boise State guys,” Ajayi said. “They know that they’re well-coached guys, guys who go into work every day that will grind for your team and will do their job.

“It’s cool. We talk about how so many of our Boise State guys are on the Cowboys.”

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Now I think Murray is coming back. So I doubt we get one of the top guys, more a mid-tier guy. Or lower.

 

[Midswat]

I don't know why we'd bring him back.

We have a ton of free agents, have a limited cap, and this is a deep draft for the position.

Plus you shouldn't pay age at the position. Especially considering how injury prone he has been.

Randle looked good in his carries, which lends to the notion the OL is good enough to make any decent back excel.


Make a tough decision and let spray tan go.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I don't know why we'd bring him back.

Because as much as the narrative is that everything is different now and it's not Jerry being emotional anymore, the powers that be want to cling on to what they just had success with.

Would Belichick keep Murray? No way in hell. But we will, or at least we will if no one makes him a crazy offer.

 

[ZeroClub]

I agree with TE ... it sounds like Murray is coming back.

I agree with Midswat ... I'd prefer that Murray not come back.

Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon are regarded by many experts as the top two running backs in this class. As of Thursday afternoon, neither had met with the Cowboys. But that doesn’t mean they won’t visit later this week.

If the Cowboys don't visit with either, that doesn't mean the Cowboys won't draft one of them.

The Cowboys didn't feel compelled to meet with Claiborne (and the Cowboys totally discounted his Wonderlic). In retrospect, no in-depth meeting may have been a colossal mistake.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d828ab40b/article/cowboys-morris-claiborne-stunned-by-sudden-draftday-union

 

[Midswat]

Odds are either Gurley or Gordon will be there.

And it might be likely they'll be BPA.

I want defense there but I wouldn't hate the selection.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

One little wild card... I seriously think that the Cowboys' success this year will get teams taking another look at this "devalued running game" theme that's been so prevalent the last several years. That plus the Seahawks' success the last two years.

So I wouldn't be surprised if interior OL and RBs go higher than they have in recent years.

Of course Gurley's knee is another factor. Not sure how much teams will factor that in.

 

[Midswat]

Interior OL has been getting drafted higher than "normal". Decastro, Pouncey, Cooper, the kid from Alabama, Martin, etc.

 

[peplaw06]

I understand doing your diligence on every player (i.e. Winston's shoulder) to set up your draft board. Never know who slips to you. But why the hell wouldn't we talk to Gordon and Gurley?

 

[cmd34]

In the Garrett interviews I could actually stomach enough to listen through, the theme seems to be the same...


Dez should be a Cowboy for "life " or "for a very long time."

Murray "had a great year" and "hopefully he'll be back."

I just get the sense that the team has already decided they will not pay Murray anywhere near what he wants.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Really? I get the opposite feeling -- that they're more determined to bring Murray back than I ever would have thought.

Maybe that's because I hear the DFW media saying all day long how Garrett is really stumping for him, how he's convinced Jerry that Murray is the "heartbeat of the team" (uh, Romo?), etc. Not saying they'll write him a blank check, just that he's critical to the team.

Of course, if we bring Murray back and he's hurt all year, they'll blame Jerry.

 

[Sheik]

They almost have to bring Murray back. You can trust his ability to pick up the blitz and keep Tony from getting killed.

Cant afford to draft a guy you can't trust to do that day one.

 

[Midswat]

Fisher has alluded on twitter that the team won't overpay Murray.

 

[Hoofbite]

Fisher has alluded on twitter that the team won't overpay Murray.

What they consider to be overpaying may be the real question mark.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

What they consider to be overpaying may be the real question mark.

Yep. "Overpay" is all relative...

And no matter what we pay him, Fisher will approve.

 

[NoShame]

I don't know why we'd bring him back.

We have a ton of free agents, have a limited cap, and this is a deep draft for the position.

Plus you shouldn't pay age at the position. Especially considering how injury prone he has been.

Randle looked good in his carries, which lends to the notion the OL is good enough to make any decent back excel.


Make a tough decision and let spray tan go.

I realize I'm in the minority here but I'd bring him back. Depending on the price obviously but if it were reasonable I don't see a problem with it.

He does too much to help the team win and is coming off an amazing season. How do you let a guy like that just walk? Great in blitz pickup, great receiver out of the backfield, great power and vision running the football.. Murray is as complete of a back as there is. His only negatives are ball security and doesn't have elite speed.

Another thing that I think Murray offers that a lot of fans overlook is that Marshawn Lynch factor. It's a toughness and physicality that can't be measured as a stat but the team seems to feed off of. Almost the same thing when Barber was here in his prime.

I agree I don't feel comfortable paying aging RBs or rather locking them into guaranteed long term contracts... but if the contract is done right (keywords being done right) I don't think we should be afraid of resigning one of the best players in the league last season.

Also, I dont think in one breath fans can say 'don't pay RBs' or 'they come from anywhere' or 'anyone can run behind this oline' than in the next breath say they would take one in the first round of the draft. I just think fans are contradicting themselves there.

Look, I'm not saying it's the end of the world if we don't resign him. If he comes in at a high price fuck it, let him walk.. Or at the very least tag and trade him. Obviously there are guys we could bring in that could help fill that hole. BUT...

What I'm afraid of if we lose Murray is the loss of the commitment to the running game. Don't let this past season fool you Garret and Linehan will take us right back to that pass happy offense. Subjecting Romo to even more punishment.

As for the replacements....

Randle - knucklehead. Can't be counted on. Even then he has only ever proved himself as a backup, never asked to even carry the workload for a full game yet.

Ryan Williams - I like him but a practice squad guy so tough to put faith in that.

Rookies - which this class is deep at RB but come on don't they say that every year? Also we can't expect a rookie to come in and, like Sheik said, handle the blitz like Murray did.

AP - isn't leaving Minnesota but even if he did that would cost us way too much.

Mark Ingram - the most logical replacement to Murray and would be my favorite of the options. Personally I think he would do really well here. But Ingram is still going to cost us decent money as we'll be competing with several teams on the FA market for him.

 

[dbair1967]

In the Garrett interviews I could actually stomach enough to listen through, the theme seems to be the same...


Dez should be a Cowboy for "life " or "for a very long time."

Murray "had a great year" and "hopefully he'll be back."

I just get the sense that the team has already decided they will not pay Murray anywhere near what he wants.

That's what I have thought all along. They will let him test the market and I am sure Murray's people will give the Cowboys a "last look".

But the deep RB draft/free agent crop combined with the opinion of most that you don't need to overpay RB's anymore means he might not be in line for a bust the bank deal, and if that plays out there's a decent chance we could have him back on a reasonable contract.

 

[dbair1967]

Yep. "Overpay" is all relative...

And no matter what we pay him, Fisher will approve.

and cabal will disapprove

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Maybe we can find a Justin Forsett type of RB. Never know.

Isn't Ryan Matthews of San Diego a free agent?