Latavius Murray: 5 best fits in NFL free agency
By Brad Weiss
Oakland Raiders
AFC, West
The term, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” has to be used in this case. Latavius Murray was given an opportunity to be a starting running back in this league by the Oakland Raiders, and he has thanked them by being a solid player during his first three seasons with the team. While his stats were down in 2016, he did score 12 touchdowns, and spearheaded a rushing attack that featured two rookies alongside him on the depth chart.
Throughout his career, Murray has earned the label of being inconsistent, which is a tag that is mostly due to the fact he burst onto the scene in his first full season as a starter in 2015. While he failed to crack the 1,000 yard mark in 2016, his impact on the Raiders offenses cannot be understated. The Raiders turned to more of a passing offense in 2016, and rightfully so, as Derek Carr has established himself as one of the best quarterback in the NFL.
The Raiders have a nice thing going right now, clinching the playoffs for the first time in 14 years in 2016. Heading into the 2017 season after winning 12 games in 2016, the Raiders have to be thinking that they need to just add a few pieces and lock up the players who have helped them get to this point. Murray is one of those guys, and he would probably liked nothing more than to be apart of a Raiders future that could have a Super Bowl in it very soon.
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Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are nice players, but they are not ready to shoulder the load of being a starting running back. Oakland needs to do whatever they can to bring back Murray, as his experience, and age makes him a nice commodity in the current NFL. Oakland is poised to make a Super Bowl run in 2017, and with Murray back in the fold, their explosive offense should continue to move in the right direction.