PLANO, Texas – If the constant speculation regarding his future bothers DeMarco Murray, he does a fantastic job of not showing it.
Murray attended an event for Hublot, the Swiss watchmaker, in the Dallas area on Tuesday night, where he was once again asked to discuss one of the dominant topics of the Cowboys' offseason – his impending free agency.
The All-Pro running back, who led the NFL with 1,845 rushing yards in 2014, said it's been easier than he thought it would be to relax and not focus too much on contract negotiation. The reasoning for that seems fairly obvious: regardless of where his long-term future lies, it promises to be bright for the 26-year-old.
"I feel like whatever the case may be, if I'm here, think it going be great situation. If it's going to be somewhere else, it's going to be a great situation," Murray said.
The NFL's free agency period opens in exactly one month, and Murray looks to be one of the hottest commodities in the league landscape. In the final two years of his rookie contract, he rushed for a combined 2,966 yards and 22 touchdowns – highlighted by a 2014 season that saw him shatter several franchise records and win NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
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"I'm 26 and I feel like I haven't even entered my prime yet," Murray said. "Like I said, wherever I go next year, I think I'm just getting started and I don't worry about trying to get the most here, trying to get the there."
Contract negotiations are bound to ramp up in the coming weeks, and Murray said he'll be an active part of those conversations. The result of those talks will be interesting to see, as the market for running backs has cooled considerably since Adrian Peterson signed a six-year, $86 million deal nearly four years ago.
In an ideal world, it's fairly apparent that both sides would like the two-time Pro Bowler to remain in Dallas. It's simply a matter of whether they can strike a balance.
"Obviously I think they want me here. I want to be here. It's just finding the … I think, the, you know … just what helps them, what helps me," Murray said. "Things like that. I think both sides want to be here, so I think we'll see where it goes."
Until a deal is hammered out – either with the Cowboys or someone else – the speculation will no doubt continue. Murray, along with teammate Dez Bryant, are two of the most high profile free agents in the league. While those situations develop, Murray said he'll have no problem letting the process play out.
"I'm very patient so I don't, like I said, if that's the process I have to go through then that's the process I have to go through," he said.
Having just finished his first-ever trip to the postseason, however, Murray did reiterate his point from earlier in the offseason: he has more goals in mind than simply statistics or signing bonuses.
"It's not about the yards for me. It's about winning a Super Bowl. If this place gives me the best chance, I'm going to stay here," he said.
