Former Leilehua star
comes out of retirement
SAN ANTONIO, Texas >> A Dallas Cowboys team uncertain about what it has in unproven running back Troy Hambrick and concerned about its overall depth at the position has found another option under a "rock."
Leilehua High School alumnus Adrian Murrell, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who has been out of the NFL since 2000, came out of retirement to sign a one-year, $750,000 deal with the Cowboys yesterday.
Murrell, 32, was at home in North Carolina working out when he called Cowboys coach Bill Parcells two days ago on the advice of a friend, prompting a morning tryout yesterday.
Parcells, who coached Murrell when both were with the New York Jets in 1997, saw enough to have Murrell signed and on the field for the afternoon workout.
He didn't make Murrell any promises, and he isn't expecting a miraculous comeback. Rather he sees the signing of Murrell as part of a continual effort to shore up a troubled position and improve the team.
"He was a 1,000-yard rusher several times, so he had good running skills, and I'm just turning over every rock," Parcells said. "I know the player well and just want to see if there is anything left. He understands. I understand. We had that discussion."
Murrell's main issues with the Cowboys are getting into playing shape and finding out what he has left. He needs to lose roughly 8 pounds after weighing in yesterday at 222 pounds.
"I think I've got something left in the tank," Murrell said. "But I have to get in playing shape and re-acclimate myself to the system and then see how it goes."
At first glance, it appears Murrell will serve as some sort of insurance for backup running back Michael Wiley, who missed the last two days of practice getting a second opinion on a rotator cuff injury. If the injury requires surgery, Wiley will be out for the season.
Parcells says he's not unhappy with Hambrick. But he also acknowledges that the four-year veteran and career backup, who rushed four times for minus-1 yard in Saturday's preseason opening loss to the Cardinals, has yet to prove that he can handle the job on a full-time basis.
First-round picks report to camp: The Jacksonville Jaguars treated quarterback Byron Leftwich just like any rookie yesterday: They taped him to the goalpost after practice.
"I knew it was coming," he said. "I welcomed it, because it showed that it wasn't anything personal."
Of course, Leftwich isn't just another rookie. He's the future of the Jaguars, and he wanted to be paid like it. After a 19-day holdout, the first-round draft pick and the team agreed to a contract that will pay him between $23 million and $30 million over five years. It's actually a seven-year deal, but the final two seasons will be voided if he meets certain performance incentives.
Also reporting to camp was fellow first-round pick Willis McGahee, of the Buffalo Bills.
"I'm happy to be here," he said. "It came a little late, that's the only bad thing about it.
McGahee signed a five-year, incentive-laden deal that could potentially be worth $15.53 million.
The Associated Press and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributed to this report.
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