INDIANAPOLIS — Running back will be a focal point in the draft and perhaps free agency for the Cowboys.
DeMarco Murray is the team’s primary back, but he has missed nine games the past two years with injuries.Former first-round pick Felix Jones is a free agent and not expected to return after largely being a disappointment the past few years, putting the Cowboys in the market for a backup to share the load with Murray.Owner Jerry Jones said it’s a priority because of Murray’s workload and expectations for him rather than concerns about his health.“It’s no different than any running back that I would be looking to to have the snaps that we’d expect from him,” Jones said. “We’re counting on him for protection. We count on him obviously to carry the ball; we count on him in the passing game and are going to count on him more in the passing game. … But the concern is a concern. We sure need a backup.”Coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys aren’t looking for a change-of-pace back to complement Murray. They just need the best back possible to make their offense go and not have a letdown if Murray’s unavailable.“What you want is the best football player behind him first and foremost,” Garrett said. “I do think you want to be able to keep playing football when he gets hurt or if he gets hurt and is not available to you. … What we will try to do is have the best No. 2 running back that we can and play to that person’s strength. You definitely want to play in a similar style if he is not available to you.”|Trainer honoredCowboys trainer Britt Brown was selected NFC assistant trainer of the year by the NFL’s athletic trainers.Brown, who has been with the Cowboys for 17 years, serves as the team’s director of rehabilitation. The award, which was presented to him at the NFL Scouting Combine by head trainer Jim Maurer, is based on Brown’s work as well as his contributions to the Pro Football Athletic Trainers Society.Brown has headed the organization’s minority scholarship program since 1995.“There are a lot of guys deserving,” Brown said. “I get to work with two of the best in Jim Maurer and Greg Gaither. I never considered what I do a job. I enjoy all of it too much.”Goodwin, Swope shineMarquise Goodwin had hoped to run faster than Chris Johnson’s 2008 mark of 4.24 seconds in the 40. The Texas receiver will have to settle for the fastest of this combine, having run an electronic time of 4.27 on Sunday.Goodwin was supposed to be the fastest along with West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin. But Texas A&M’s Ryan Swope was the surprise, tying Austin’s 4.34. TCU’s Josh Boyce (4.38) and Oklahoma’s Kenny Stills (4.38) were the only other receivers running sub-4.4 times Sunday.Goodwin, an Olympian who finished 10th in the long jump in London, had an 11-0 in the broad jump. He not only missed the record but also had Tennessee’s Justin Hunter beat him with an 11-4 jump Sunday.Moore owns up to pastTexas A&M defensive end Damontre Moore didn’t help himself with 12 reps in the 225-pound bench press, but he is scoring well in interviews. Moore is owning up to his arrest for marijuana possession in the summer of 2011.“I made things a lot harder for myself,” Moore said Sunday. “I don’t look at it as a regret. I look at it as a blessing. If it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be as motivated or strive to work this hard to get back in good standing.”Moore, who had 12.5 sacks as a junior, is projected as a top-15 pick.Charean Williams contributed to this report.Clarence E. Hill Jr., 817-390-7760 Twitter: @clarencehilljr
