Running back Latavius Murray has been with the Oakland Raiders since the 2014 season, and he’s been a more than productive member for the organization.
He has nowhere near the value of quarterback Derek Carr or his plethora of wideouts, but Murray has been a solid presence in the Oakland backfield. He has rushed for for 2,278 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three-year career, including 1,066 yards in 2015 and 12 touchdowns in 2016.
Murray will become a free agent in March, and despite the fact that he’s been very open about wanting to stay in Oakland, it sounds like the team may be ready to move on from him.
Vic Tafur, who covers the Raiders for the San Francisco Chronicle, responded to a Twitter question about Murray. And it doesn’t sound like he’s expecting the 6-foot-3, 230 pound running back to be in Oakland next season.
Been on record for a while saying I don’t expect him back https://t.co/k2t9NFUVoZ
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) February 13, 2017
By the sounds of it, Oakland must not want to put the money into retaining Murray, but one has to wonder how that’s going to play with the team’s quarterback. Carr has been very open so far in 2017 about wanting Murray back.
“We all know that we want him back; we love him,” he told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “He’s one of my best friends in this whole world. Not just because he can run the ball, but because he can pick up blitzes.”
We’ll have to wait and see if Carr’s desire to retain his friend will be heard. It sounds unlikely, though.