Oakland Raiders May Regret Letting Latavius Murray Walk Away
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders are reportedly expected to let free agent running back Latavius Murray walk away this offseason – a move that very well may come back to bite them.
Though nothing is official just yet, beat reporter Vic Tafur is reporting that Latavius Murray and the Oakland Raiders are going to be parting ways this offseason. It’s a move that some people will applaud, of course, but it’s also a move that could come back to bite them in an uncomfortable place this season.
Now, the conventional wisdom among some fans is that Murray is nothing special and is entirely replaceable. Pick up a free agent or just draft a running back, is the most common call. And who knows, maybe GM Reggie McKenzie can scrape up another sixth-round gem in the draft.
But if he can’t find one, then what? What is the plan?
Second-year backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington did very well in their rookie campaigns, with the former rushing for 491 yards and a touchdown, and the latter, 467 yards and two scores. Richard had a yards per carry average of 5.9, while Washington went for 5.4 a carry.
Those stats – combined with Murray’s average of four yards a carry – have led many to believe that Murray is the weak link and that Oakland’s ground game will be fine without him. Some think that it might be even better with two shifty running backs in the backfield.
But that kind of thinking not only does a disservice to what Murray has meant to Oakland’s offensive resurgence, but it also paints a somewhat false narrative – namely, that the Raiders’ ground game was just as dynamic without him.
It’s a position though, that’s unfortunately not entirely supported by fact.
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In the two games Murray missed due to injury — against San Diego and Kansas City — neither Richard, nor Washington was able to establish themselves as a legitimate go-to back the team could count on to grind out the yards.
In the week five game against San Diego, Richard rushed for 31 yards and Washington added 23. As a team, Oakland ran for an underwhelming total of 89 yards. Against Kansas City in week six, Washington ran for 49 yards and Richard had just seven total as the Raiders struggled on the ground again, posting just 64 total rushing yards.
For the season, Murray led the team in rushing for the second straight year with 788 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also chipped in with 264 receiving yards on just 33 catches (tops among Oakland’s backs). As a unit, Oakland rushed for 1,922 yards – which made them the sixth best rushing team in the entire NFL. Their 17 touchdowns on the ground also ranked sixth in the league.
The point of all of this is just to say that Oakland’s ground game was as effective as it was because Murray, Richard, and Washington all chipped in. They worked incredibly well as a unit, with each man bringing something a little different to the table.
While Murray was a much more punishing runner this season, Richard and Washington provided quickness and elusiveness out of the backfield. And perhaps most importantly, they not only gave Murray a breather and some legitimate help – something he didn’t have in 2015 – but provided an excellent change of pace for the Raiders offense.
Take Murray out of that equation and Oakland’s offense is suddenly missing a very big piece. With a very effective ground game, Oakland’s offense soared to heights not seen since Rich Gannon and Tim Brown were wearing the Silver and Black.
This isn’t to say that Murray can’t be replaced, it’s just to say that they already had a good thing going with him shouldering the load out of the backfield.
Though this draft has some decent looking running backs, taking one is always a crapshoot – for every Ezekiel Elliott, there are dozens of backs who just don’t pan out. Or at least, don’t provide the impact they were expected to have.
Obviously, McKenzie couldn’t afford to break the bank for Murray – especially with rich deals for Derek Carr, Khalil Mack imminent, and Amari Cooper on the horizon. And if Murray and his agent were stuck on a number and unwilling to move from it, then there isn’t a whole lot that cold be done about it – which would be unfortunate.
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But if that wasn’t the case and the Raiders simply decided to go younger and cheaper at the position – and this offense takes a step backward if the running game falters – it’s a decision that very well could come back to haunt them.