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 Financial terms of the a five-year contract for the running back,
one of the key prizes of the 2015 free agent class, were not
disclosed by the team, though various reports said it was worth $42
million.
"I'm glad and fortunate to be here. It's a great organization,"
Murray, who said he turned down a couple of richer offers to sign
with Philadelphia, told a news conference. "It's a privilege and an
honor. I'm ready to get started."
Dallas won the NFC East division last season with a 12-4 record
ahead of Philadelphia at 10-6, but Murray was confident of a
reversal.
He said newly-acquired Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, his college
teammate at Oklahoma, had a big influence on his decision.
"Obviously, Sam's a great friend of mine, like a brother to me," he
said. "It was a huge influence."
Murray, 27, was named the NFL's offensive player of the year in 2014
after rushing for a Cowboys franchise-record 1,845 yards and
catching 57 passes for another 416 yards.
He also tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with 13 and
set the NFL record by opening the season with eight consecutive
100-yard rushing games.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised Murray for his years with Dallas
and said that the running back would still be with the team if they
had room under the salary cap.
"If it were a question of having an open checkbook with no salary
cap constraints, we all know things would have worked out
differently," Jones said in a statement.
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"At the end of the day, this is about finding the best way to
collectively fit all of the individual pieces together, in terms of
talent, offensive players, defensive players and dollars - under the
salary cap structure - that gives you the best chance to have a
championship team."
Murray replaces LeSean McCoy, third in the NFL in rushing with 1,319
yards, who was traded to Buffalo this week.
Earlier on Thursday, the Eagles agreed to terms on a three-year
contract with running back Ryan Mathews.
A first-round draft pick by San Diego in 2010, Mathews gained 4,061
yards and scored 23 touchdowns in five seasons. He also caught 146
passes for 1,110 yards and one touchdown.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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