Your thoughts on Demarco Murray

[Ruf/Nek7]

Ok, here is the deal. I was reading fan reactions in response to Cowboys drafting Murray. A supposed OU fan states "he is not a bruising back and at times can be knocked off his feet with a minor hit" he also stated "if you try and run up the middle he will not get many yards"

I for completely disagree with these statements. I felt Murray was a physical back who fought for 3 extra yards every carry. The only time I could imagine him getting knocked off his feet with a minor hit would be at the end of the game after getting a heavy dose of carries and several receptions throughout the game.

That was his opinion, this is my opinion. Just wanted to see what you guys thought?

[SoonerofAlabama]

I thought Murray could have run it anywhere. It didn't look like he tried to go to any one place every time. It always looked like he fought for that extra inch or so to me. And he was also a very good blocker that can knock a guy's head off while still showing blazing speed.

[rekamrettuB]

I don't think Dallas drafted him to be a "bruising back" so that really shouldn't matter. He's a great balance between a shifty back and a between the tackles back. His hands will be his best attribute.

[fwsooner22]

The Dallas offensive line is horrible. It won't matter much and I am sad that is where he ended up.

[JLEW1818]

they got a good LT from the draft

[badger]

Dallas drafted a backup plan at KR/PR should Dez decide he'd rather spend NFL money than earn it.

As for the running back position, Demarco is a third option should ex-Sooner Tashard Choice or Oklahoma native Felix Jones get injured.

I would have rather had him in Green Bay, but this might work out very well for Demarco. While naysayers might say he's shown he's injury prone, optimists can say the exact opposite -- he comes back stronger than ever after injuries and thus proves that he's a hard worker.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Houston Texan fans should love the Cowboys draft

[Mad Dog Madsen]

they got a good LT from the draft

That's 1! Now they need 4 more guys who can block.

[BigJerm7]

Watch the highlight video of all his TD runs. Who cares if he's a bruising back. He's versatile and he scores. The end.

[badger]

LOL @ the whorn sitting down on the job in the background :mack:
http://i51.tinypic.com/25gqp28.jpg

[Ruf/Nek7]

Well my response was a recollection of a run he had against Baylor in 09 and then proceeded to comment on his speed and elusiveness. I think he will be just fine and if he works hard, he may find himself at the #2 spot.

[Mad Dog Madsen]

He's not a "bruising back." Don't get me wrong, I love Demarco, but there were times in his career where it seemed like you could just look at him and he would go down... Maybe he was being cautious because of past injuries? Hell, maybe it was just me???

[starclassic tama]

it was definitely just you. had murray had the o-line in 2009 + 2010 that he had in '08, he would have been a monster. the talent has always been there.

[ouleaf]

Their has been a lot of mixed opinions in the DFW among local sports media and Cowboys fans in general. A lot of fans are saying they feel content with the current RB corp for the Cowboys and that the Cowboys should have used that pick to draft needs at more pressing areas.

There are a few making the case the Murray was brought in to challenge Felix for the starting job. I'm sure Garrett will find a way to get him on the field.

[Sooner_Tuf]

Predicting NFL success is a pretty hit and miss business at best. Murray is one of those guys that just has it. I will be really surprised is he doesn't do well. He is very smart and he is an incredible worker. Toss in some talent, which he has tons of, and that it's a really good bet he will be a starter soon.

[oudavid1]

He was good not great. Had two great QBs. Injuries hurt him. Very few big time runs.

[texaspokieokie]

He gave everything he had, on every play !!!

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

I wonder what Demarco is eating tonight?

There's mine

[ashley]

He was very average after his injury.

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

He was very average after his injury.

http://img3.lln.crunchyroll.com/i/spire2/0be2a007aa9ccd514c23a3fddbc0fcc21228734785_full.jp g

[REDREX]

He will play 2 or 3 years ----make a little money and finish with 500 total yards---Dallas will probably try him on kickoffs

[Sooner_Tuf]

He was very average after his injury.

He holds the record at Oklahoma for touchdowns scored. Not bad considering Oklahoma has scored more points than any other team, in the history of college football.

I guess everyone else that has played at Oklahoma was below average?

Something doesn't equate there.

[MeMyself&Me]

I'm worried that we're going to miss him a lot next year.

[Salt City Sooner]

I'm worried that we're going to miss him a lot next year.

x2, ESPECIALLY when it comes to pass blocking. I think our young pups are more than capable of producing when they have the ball, but when it comes to PB, there's no substitute for experience, something the noobs don't have a lot of. I can easily see Landry taking a few shots early in the year because a RB drifted out in the flat on a route instead of recognizing a blitz & staying in to protect his QB. LJ may be able to point it out to him in time, but that's one thing he didn't have to worry about much last year. It'll be interesting to see how he handles it, especially when OU is in hurry up mode.

[mightysooner]

Demarco was never a physical back between the tackles and didn't scare people running the ball. He scared people out in space receiving passes and in the redzone. Not sure why everybody has a different memory of him now that he was drafted but he always went down too easily running the ball and wasn't explosive out of the backfield. I remember people on here saying it looked like he was trying to get tackled at times when he ran, lost a lot of his speed, and questioning his effort at times etc.,, including last year when Finch stepped on the field and outshined him. He never took the starting job from Brown (not a stud either). Murray was a serviceable back running the football out of the backfield..but he was a homerun threat receiving the football out in space. He's more Reggie Bush style than he is Adrian Peterson. It is what it is....

[85sooners]

Dm7 = rookie of year

[SoonerofAlabama]

BOLD. I like it!

[BoulderSooner79]

Finch did not out shine DM. Finch came in with a bang against a tired, out-manned and demoralized ISU team that wasn't ready for the change of pace. He had a couple of other nice runs in other games, but got thrown around like a rag doll against aTm. I love Finch's potential, but DM was the man last season. So what if DM's main skills are running in space and pass protection? That's enough to be a success in the pros and was certainly enough to be a star in our system. I'm sure it's just me, but I don't expect every back to be another AD.

[MeMyself&Me]

Finch did not out shine DM. Finch came in with a bang against a tired, out-manned and demoralized ISU team that wasn't ready for the change of pace. He had a couple of other nice runs in other games, but got thrown around like a rag doll against aTm. I love Finch's potential, but DM was the man last season. So what if DM's main skills are running in space and pass protection? That's enough to be a success in the pros and was certainly enough to be a star in our system. I'm sure it's just me, but I don't expect every back to be another AD.

This. I didn't get to see ISU but I heard all about how great Finch was. As for the rest of the year, I was very unimpressed with Finch. Saw enough to like the potential but it wasn't there yet. Murray was the man last year. He didn't look as fast and flashy as he did early in his career but he ran with determination. I thought he had lost a step but I was surprised by his NFL combine times... faster than he looked. I'm guessing if he was behind a line that could run block better, he'd have looked a lot faster.

[jk the sooner fan]

"not a bruising back"

well we all know the NFL is completely devoid of non-bruising RB's with successful careers......

[stoops the eternal pimp]

People really do have a hard time finding a middle ground on DM...He either is the best ever or the worst ever...

He was a good college runningback...He did a lot of things really well....Well rounded back...I don't recall him being easy to tackle, but he ducked his head to early in the running game at times and ran straight into tacklers.

You can be a good runningback without being Adrian Peterson.

And I'll go ahead and say this..I think Finch can be a good one, but I don't think he'll ever be a superstar.

[jk the sooner fan]

personally, i dont need DM to have a great pro career to validate what he did on the field at OU

it's nice to see them move on to the next level and be successful - but i'll remember much more what he did on Owen Field than what he may or may not do in Arlington

[meoveryouxinfinity]

I NEVER understood us giving the ball to Chris Brown on the goal line. Murray was THE MAN when you needed a few yards. If he didn't get it, it wasn't because he made a bad cut or didn't try hard enough. It was because the blocking sucked.
Give him the ball on 4th and 2, or from the 3 yard line, and he'll usually get it. He'll spin, flip, "bruise" people to make sure he gets it. He wanted it more than any other back I've ever seen.

[rs.soonerfans]

I'm worried that we're going to miss him a lot next year.

true, we don't have a proven every-down back yet.

[jk the sooner fan]

I NEVER understood us giving the ball to Chris Brown on the goal line. Murray was THE MAN when you needed a few yards. If he didn't get it, it wasn't because he made a bad cut or didn't try hard enough. It was because the blocking sucked.
Give him the ball on 4th and 2, or from the 3 yard line, and he'll usually get it. He'll spin, flip, "bruise" people to make sure he gets it. He wanted it more than any other back I've ever seen.

I dunno- I have different memories of Brown.....he was a stud imo - he fit the role they defined for him with very few flaws

[meoveryouxinfinity]

I dunno- I have different memories of Brown.....he was a stud imo - he fit the role they defined for him with very few flaws

I guess.. but look who holds the record for the most TDs.. obviously someone has a knack for crossing the line.

[jk the sooner fan]

I guess.. but look who holds the record for the most TDs.. obviously someone has a knack for crossing the line.

like i said - Brown's role was entirely different than DM's

but when they gave him the ball on 3d down - how many times did he move the chains? quite often .....and when DM was injured, he was more than reliable to move into the first spot

just my opinion- i was/am a BIG CB fan...

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

He hasn't been the same since he beat up Rhiana

[Mad Dog Madsen]

I dunno- I have different memories of Brown.....he was a stud imo - he fit the role they defined for him with very few flaws

^^^THIS. CB was a stud. 2008 he had 1220 yards and 20 rushing TD's. That's pretty impressive if ya ask me... Not to mention all this while splitting carries with DM.

[soonermix]

ol' one touch.

[MeMyself&Me]

People really do have a hard time finding a middle ground on DM...He either is the best ever or the worst ever...

He was a good college runningback...He did a lot of things really well....Well rounded back...I don't recall him being easy to tackle, but he ducked his head to early in the running game at times and ran straight into tacklers.

You can be a good runningback without being Adrian Peterson.

And I'll go ahead and say this..I think Finch can be a good one, but I don't think he'll ever be a superstar.

I'm not saying he was anywhere near on par with Adrian Peterson or that he's going to be an all pro or anything. But people were saying that he would go down very easy with little contact. That wasn't the Murray I saw last year.

[jk the sooner fan]

well he's certainly no Kejuan Jones

[meoveryouxinfinity]

You can't even compare DM to CB because DM has a full arsenal of weapons. He is a GREAT slot receiver. There were some plays I thought that he was Broyles. He has great hands.
Edit: we never asked CB to do half of what we asked DM to do.

He's closer to Percy Harvin than Adrian Peterson

[Sooner_Tuf]

Demarco was never a physical back between the tackles and didn't scare people running the ball. He scared people out in space receiving passes and in the redzone. Not sure why everybody has a different memory of him now that he was drafted but he always went down too easily running the ball and wasn't explosive out of the backfield. I remember people on here saying it looked like he was trying to get tackled at times when he ran, lost a lot of his speed, and questioning his effort at times etc.,, including last year when Finch stepped on the field and outshined him. He never took the starting job from Brown (not a stud either). Murray was a serviceable back running the football out of the backfield..but he was a homerun threat receiving the football out in space. He's more Reggie Bush style than he is Adrian Peterson. It is what it is....

DeMarco Murray - Freshman Year - 15 TD (record tied w/AD) 2010 - 20 TD
Roy Finch - Freshman Year - 2TD

Roy Finch is electric and exciting. He looks to be a great member of the Sooners. He is not listed on the depth chart however.

Roy wasn't the back that Demarco was in High School. While good not even close to DeMarco.

College - Finch looks like he will be good. But at this point not even close to anything DeMarco has done, even at the same point in their careers.

Roy has yet to break 100 yards in a game. DeMarco had 6498 yards during his career at OU (Oklahoma Record). Murray scored two or more TDs in eighteen games, Finch has two TDs total to date. Finch has one KR for 18 yards, Murray averaged 29.3 yards per KR his Freshman year.

Not knocking Roy and I think it would be great for OU if Finch can break half of DeMarco's records at OU but just exactly where do you think he outshined DeMarco?

If you don't think teams planned for DeMarco you're nuts. It is what it is is right. DeMarco Murray is a helluva RB.

In fact comparing Murray to AD, Murray did more for OU than AD did. Ask Bob Stoops who the best RB has been since he has been at OU. You really don't need to ask just listen to any of one of dozens of clips posted. Bob Stoops can't say enough good things about DeMarco Murray.

You guys knocking Murray are just plain nuts.

[Mad Dog Madsen]

DeMarco Murray - Freshman Year - 15 TD (record tied w/AD) 2010 - 20 TD Roy Finch - Freshman Year - 2TD

Only 15 of those were on the ground. The other 5 were receiving TD's.

DM's freshman year he scored 5 TD's the opening game against North Texas IIRC. Last 12 games he scored 10.

Roy Finch also didn't have as many carries as DM his freshman year so that's not really a fair comparison.

[BoulderSooner79]

Only 15 of those were on the ground. The other 5 were receiving TD's.

DM's freshman year he scored 5 TD's the opening game against North Texas IIRC. Last 12 games he scored 10.

Roy Finch also didn't have as many carries as DM his freshman year so that's not really a fair comparison.

*Only* 15 TD were rushing. Really!? *REALLY*? And last I saw, receiving TDs were worth 6 points too. How many did Finch have?

No, it's not a fair comparison, because there is no fair comparison. Two completely different backs used in different ways. DM was a star for us who stuck around for the entire 5yr tour overcoming very tough injuries. As someone else noted, he doesn't need an NFL career to validate what he did for us.

[Mad Dog Madsen]

*Only* 15 TD were rushing. Really!? *REALLY*? And last I saw, receiving TDs were worth 6 points too. How many did Finch have?

Maybe you should re-read my post... As I pointed out in bold, 15 of DM's 20 TD's we're rushing. Roy Finch didn't have as many carries or even play in as many games as DM his freshman year. I don't need DM's pro career to validate what he did in college either. He was a superstar here. I love DM, so don't get your f*ckin panties in a wad...

[BoulderSooner79]

Maybe you should re-read my post... As I pointed out in bold, 15 of DM's 20 TD's we're rushing. Roy Finch didn't have as many carries or even play in as many games as DM his freshman year. I don't need DM's pro career to validate what he did in college either. He was a superstar here. I love DM, so don't get your f*ckin panties in a wad...

You take me way too seriously - I've just never seen "only" used with "15 TDs". And I like my panties in a wad - don't knock it until you try it.

[Sooner_Tuf]

Roy Finch also didn't have as many carries as DM his freshman year so that's not really a fair comparison.

Roy - 85 carries - 398 yards - Avg 4.7 - Longest Run 29 - 2 TDs - *8 games

DeMarco - 127 carries - 764 yards - Avg 6.0 - Longest Run 92 - 15 TDs

I wasn't trying to be unfair. Does this look better?

[Mad Dog Madsen]

LMAO! It's that time of the month for me guys. I apologize... Yall are right though. DM is waaayy better than Roy Finch will ever dream of being. :rolleyes: DM never managed to make All-American though. Thoughts? Injuries???

[jk the sooner fan]

why dont we wait for Finch to finish his career before making comparisons

seems kind of silly to me to compare a RB that spent 5 years to one that's just finished his first

[BoulderSooner79]

LMAO! It's that time of the month for me guys. I apologize... Yall are right though. DM is waaayy better than Roy Finch will ever dream of being. :rolleyes: DM never managed to make All-American though. Thoughts? Injuries???

Injuries for sure limited his career. DM was still rehabbing during both the '08 and '09 seasons. But I think our weakness in run blocking will make it tough for any OU back to have the kind of numbers needed to make All-American lists. We were pretty good at run blocking in '07, but DM was dinged up for several games that season too.

[pphilfran]

He will play 2 or 3 years ----make a little money and finish with 500 total yards---Dallas will probably try him on kickoffs

My guess as well...he will catch a few passes so I might give him a few more yards...

[pphilfran]

I think Finch is going to be tough...he hits the hole so damn fast...

[BoulderSooner79]

LMAO! It's that time of the month for me guys. I apologize... Yall are right though. DM is waaayy better than Roy Finch will ever dream of being. :rolleyes: DM never managed to make All-American though. Thoughts? Injuries???

I'm the first one to say you never know what might have been. But if DM had not gotten hurt in the TT game in '07, I think he could have had a good shot at All American in '08. I thought he finally regained his pre-surgery form in the KSU game about half way through the season - his stats might have been much better had he started the year healthy. The other factor is that the politics were right - star player on a title contending team.

[Sooner_Tuf]

LMAO! It's that time of the month for me guys. I apologize... Yall are right though. DM is waaayy better than Roy Finch will ever dream of being. :rolleyes: DM never managed to make All-American though. Thoughts? Injuries???

He was Freshman All American in 2007. How many times was he hurt in the five years he was on campus? How many times has Finch been injured in one year?

I'm not knocking Finch in the slightest. I think he is a special player without a doubt. I am just replying to the posts saying Murray is an average back and that Finch out shined him. Which is simply not true to this point.

The same people that would like to give Finch a chance before comparing him have already condemned Murray's Pro Career.

Apology accepted in any case.

[85sooners]

i will take dm over finch any day we need a 4th and 1

[BOOMERBRADLEY]

i wonder what movie Demarco watched last night?

[Mad Dog Madsen]

Roy Finch will be better than DM ever was AND will outshine Brandon Williams this year too!!! :P :rolleyes:

[huskerland]

As an outsider looking in, I can see the value of Demarco: His last couple of years he's battled health problems. I never thought that in the last couple of years he regained his full potential. He can be on my team anyday

[mightysooner]

LMAO! It's that time of the month for me guys. I apologize... Yall are right though. DM is waaayy better than Roy Finch will ever dream of being. :rolleyes: DM never managed to make All-American though. Thoughts? Injuries???


Because he was only slightly above average purely as a running back? I won't argue how many TD's he had because he was a go-to specialist in the RZ which is why Dallas drafted him. His strength became catching the ball, not running the ball, and that's what he was drafted to do as a "premier 3rd down back" and kick returner. If you're drafted as a 3rd down back, that means they don't think you offer much value on 1st and 2nd down. We'll see how his pro career turns out and I wish him huge success even though I don't like Dallas.

[BoulderSooner79]

Because he was only slightly above average purely as a running back? I won't argue how many TD's he had because he was a go-to specialist in the RZ which is why Dallas drafted him. His strength became catching the ball, not running the ball, and that's what he was drafted to do as a "premier 3rd down back" and kick returner. If you're drafted as a 3rd down back, that means they don't think you offer much value on 1st and 2nd down. We'll see how his pro career turns out and I wish him huge success even though I don't like Dallas.

I agree with this assessment, but still think DM could have made All American in '08 for the same reason Reggie Bush was able to do it. Not the prototypical pure RB, but the right player on the right high-profile team. But the '08 season for DM was sandwiched by his 2 surgeries.