Rumor: Vikings have expressed ‘a good deal of interest’ in running back Latavius Murray
By Adam Patrick
On the same day that the Minnesota Vikings basically cut ties with their best running back in team history, rumors are already starting to swirl about who they will replace him with.
After the announcement on Tuesday from the Minnesota Vikings that the team would not be picking up the 2017 option for running back Adrian Peterson, many were left wondering what exactly the Vikings will do to improve their rushing attack before next season.
Well according to Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, Minnesota is already intrigued by a certain free-agent running back.
"“Even before the Minnesota Vikings officially cut ties with running back Adrian Peterson several sources told me the team was showing a good deal of interest in Latavius Murray of the Oakland Raiders.”– Tony Pauline, Draft Analyst writer"
Murray is a 27-year-old running back who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. He has spent the last four seasons in the league with the Oakland Raiders where he averaged almost 1,780 total yards, 4 yards per carry, 40 catches, and 10 touchdowns per 16 games since 2015.
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Spotrac envisions Murray to land a contract this offseason that will pay him an annual salary of about $6.7 million. Much cheaper than what the Vikings were scheduled to pay Peterson in 2017 and Murray is arguably a much better option than Peterson at this point in time.
If Minnesota were actually able to land the former Raiders running back, the team would have filled a major need before heading into the unknown at the NFL Draft in April. Murray is fully capable of being a three-down back and would allow Jerick McKinnon to assume a more suitable role as the team’s backup running back next season.
Next: What's next for the Vikings' backfield?
It has not even been a full day yet since Peterson’s release and rumors are already beginning to fly in. Hopefully, everyone can contain their excitement.