Oakland Raiders: A few free agent running backs who might be able to help
By Kevin Saito
Murray, the seventy-first overall pick of the 2011 Draft, was simply dynamic in his time with the Cowboys. Over his four seasons in Dallas, he racked up 4,526 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns – his best season being his 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014. He also had a pretty stellar average of 4.8 yards per carry over that span.
2015 saw Murray go to division rival Philadelphia in free agency. A move that was inexplicable, given that Murray was never a good fit for Chip Kelly‘s high-tempo offense. The fit was so bad, that he was eventually passed up on the depth chart by the smaller, faster Darren Sproles.
In 2016, the Eagles traded Murray to the Tennessee Titans and an offensive system more conducive to his style of play. The move worked well as Murray ran for 1,287 yards and nine scores, with a solid average of 4.4 yards per carry.
2017 saw the Titans shift their backfield a bit, cutting down the workload for Murray – his 184 carries the fewest since his rookie and sophomore years, and more than 100 fewer than in 2016. Tennessee liked what they say in second year man Derrick Henry and he split the workload with Murray, taking on 176 carries of his own.
With fewer touches, his production dropped, and Murray rushed for just 659 yards and six touchdowns – and saw his average fall to 3.6 yards per carry.
At 30-years old, Murray is a veteran, but he still has some tread left on his tires. If Martin falters once the pads come on, Gruden might want to think about giving him a call.