Added to the roster during the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings’ running back has the best chance to open the year as the team’s starter.
Following the announcement of his signing with the Minnesota Vikings back in March, it was believed by many that Latavius Murray would be penciled in as the team’s starting running back for their first game of the 2017 NFL season.
However, the Vikings used their top draft pick this year to select Florida State running back Dalvin Cook and some now believe that the rookie may actually open the regular season as the starter in Minnesota’s offensive backfield. But despite missing practice time this offseason due to an ankle injury, Murray’s experience in the league should still give him the advantage he needs to begin 2017 as the Vikings’ starting running back.
Given Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer’s reputation of not playing rookies until he feels they are completely ready, the Vikings opting to go with Murray over Cook, at least during the early part of the season, should not shock too many people. However, just because Murray would be in the backfield to start each game, him getting less touches per game than Minnesota’s other running backs would not be too surprising either.
Minnesota Vikings
The word going around is that the Vikings would like to make him their short yardage specialist in 2017 and then mix in Cook and Jerick McKinnon during situations where a larger chunk of yards are necessary to gain a first down. It is easy to see why that may actually end up being the case since 16 of Murray’s 20 career rushing touchdowns have come on plays that started on or inside his opponent’s 10-yard line.
Murray beginning the season as Minnesota’s starter does not guarantee that he will remain in the same role for the entire year either. If Cook, or even McKinnon, are playing at a high level, the Vikings may have no other choice than to take touches away from Murray and get the ball in the hands of one of their other two backs more often
The only scenarios that may prevent Murray from being named Minnesota’s Week 1 starter would be if he were to suffer an injury beforehand or if one of the team’s other top two running backs puts on a show during the preseason and training camp. Both of which could easily happen.
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But until one of those two things actually does end up happening, opening the season with Murray as the starting running back seems like the most plausible choice that the Vikings will make.