Latavius Murray

Murray's second season in New Orleans was much the same as his first. The veteran back offers a more physical complement to Alvin Kamara's open-field explosiveness, and in that role Murray actually led the league in the percentage of his carries that came on runs between the tackles. Running in traffic hasn't been a hindrance, thanks to the Saints' excellent offensive line, and he's averaged 4.4 yards per carry the last two campaigns. Somewhat surprisingly, only three of his nine touchdowns have come from inside the five-yard line, but the presence of Taysom Hill (in addition to Kamara) may help explain that limited usage at the goal line. Drew Brees' retirement could mean big changes for the Saints offense, but Murray's role doesn't figure to be too much different with Jameis Winston or Hill under center. Per usual, there's no real upside for Murray unless Kamara misses time.

As expected, Murray spent most of 2019 playing second fiddle to Alvin Kamara, but when he did get a chance to start he made the most of it. The veteran erupted for 307 total yards and four touchdowns, including his first career receiving score, during a two-game stretch Weeks 7-8 while Kamara was out with lower-body injuries. Those two games accounted for more than a third of Murray's yardage and two-thirds of his TDs last season, an indication of how little work he got when Kamara was healthy (Murray got double-digit carries only two other times all year). The former Raider and Viking still possesses good speed in the open field - a key asset in a Saints offense adept at scheming players open - but his skill set doesn't stand out in any other area, and he managed a meager 1.7 yards after contact per carry, fifth lowest in the league. That's still good enough to produce big numbers while running behind one of the league's dominant offensive lines in a lead role, but it's not good enough to steal a lot of touches from a healthy Kamara.

After two years as a veteran "backup" for the Vikings who started a lot of games due to Dalvin Cook's inability to stay healthy, Murray tried to land a real starting job in free agency this offseason. While he didn't get one, he did wind up with the next best thing --- taking Mark Ingram's spot alongside Alvin Kamara in the Saints backfield. Murray isn't as talented a runner as Ingram, lacking the latter's power and explosiveness, though he does still flash good top speed in space. Minnesota didn't use Murray much in the passing game, but he showed some ability in that area his first three seasons with Oakland, and it's likely Drew Brees will be inclined to funnel some targets his way. Ingram averaged about 13 touches per game in 2018 --- a workload that would represent an overall boost for Murray, though Kamara could see his volume increase. Either way, the better offense around Murray should lead to better efficiency.

Signed as a free agent from the Raiders last offseason, Murray looked like he would only be an insurance policy behind rookie Dalvin Cook, but that policy got cashed in quickly when Cook tore his ACL in Week 4. Murray did a solid but unspectacular job on the larger side of a timeshare with Jerick McKinnon for the rest of the year, primarily handling early down and short-yardage duties, which led to top-five finishes in both red-zone touches and goal-line carries. Never a particularly elusive or powerful runner, Murray needs to be schemed into open space, but he does have the speed to pick up chunk yards once he gets there. While his role will diminish in 2018 assuming Cook's recovery continues to go smoothly, Murray should still see valuable snaps as Minnesota's No. 2 running back, and he could be a bit more involved in the passing game with McKinnon now in San Francisco.

Toe and ankle injuries limited Murray to 14 games last year and reduced his workload when he was in the lineup, but the Raiders gave him plenty of action in the red zone and as a result he scored 12 TDs, good for fifth in the NFL. He has the speed and pass-catching ability to do damage in open space, but his height (6-3) and upright running style make it difficult to handle the punishment that comes with being a lead back. He signed with the Vikings after undergoing offseason ankle surgery, only to watch his new team select Dalvin Cook in the draft. While the rookie is the favorite to start, Murray could still have value as a receiving-down option. Without those red-zone carries, an area in which Cook excelled in college, it's tough to see Murray coming close to double-digit scores again. The veteran fell behind in missing the offseason program and first two weeks of training camp, but he still expects to be ready for Week 1.

When a player goes off in limited action, it can be tricky to apply that to a potential role increase. Consider the case of Murray. He went bonkers in limited touches two years back, but when the Raiders handed him a featured role last year, the efficiency left us old (4.0 a carry, 5.7 a reception). He seemed to wear down over the final two months of the year, when his average rush cratered to 3.3. Nonetheless, the Raiders still have a high opinion of Murray. They did add rookie DeAndre Washington, but he's merely a fifth-round pick. Washington could cut into Murray's pass activity, but he's under 200 pounds and not considered a threat for full-time duty. Perhaps the overall improvement of Oakland's offense could help boost Murray. Quarterback Derek Carr is coming off a career year, and WR Amari Cooper could take a step forward as a sophomore. Oakland's minus-40 point differential was its second-best mark in 13 years — this team might not be far from contention. And if the Raiders improve as a club, it figures to give Murray a better draw with game flow and second-half opportunity.

After missing his rookie season with an ankle injury, Murray entered 2014 buried on the Raiders' depth chart behind veterans Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. As the the old-timers got hurt or simply underperformed, Murray finally got a look in Week 12 and exploded for 112 rushing yards on just four carries before bowing out with a concussion. Once he returned in Week 14, Oakland happily made him the lead back. Built more like a wide receiver at 6-3, 225, and with the speed to match, Murray uses plus burst and vision to blow through holes into the second level, and he's a major asset on passing downs, showing both excellent receiving skills (averaging four targets per game over the final four weeks last year) as well as strong pass blocking. He isn't particularly elusive, however, and his frame doesn't allow him to run with a lot of power, a combination that could leave him susceptible to injury. It also made him fairly easy to bring down, and Murray's seven missed or broken tackles in 99 touches was among the worst rates in the league. The Raiders brought in Trent Richardson and Roy Helu to help keep his workload manageable, but Murray should get every chance to prove he can be a productive starter this season.

Murray spent his entire rookie season on IR due to an ankle injury, but even with that all healed up, he faces an uphill battle for carries in the early going behind the two-headed monster of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. Of course, McFadden's an injury waiting to happen and MJD's no spring chicken, so Murray could end up producing sneaky value as the year goes on. With elite speed, good hands and receiver-like size at 6-3, 230, he has the tools to be a three-down back, but will need to show some durability before the Raiders start looking at him like one.

Murray will start the season on injured reserve. The Raiders' sixth-round pick, Murray will eventually compete with Rashad Jennings to be Darren McFadden's primary backup. The backup to the fragile McFadden, who has never played more than 13 games in a single season, could have a good opportunity to see significant work. Jennings has also been less than durable, which leaves Murray in a good spot for action. At 6-3, 223, Murray is built more like a big receiver than a tailback, but he's a speedy runner (4.4 40) who possesses surprising lateral quickness and good acceleration. He averaged at least 5.6 YPC in each of his final three seasons at Central Florida while totaling 40 touchdowns in that span.