An unrestricted free agent, Latavius Murray could sign with any team but would love to return to the Minnesota Vikings if the two sides can work out a deal.
Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings approached running back Latavius Murray about taking a pay cut to stay with the team for the 2018 NFL season. Murray agreed and his value to the team was shown because he started six games and played in all 16 of them.
Of course, the Vikings hope that their running game can go through their second-round draft pick in 2017, Dalvin Cook. However, he has only been able to play in 15 games during his first two seasons in the NFL and having a quality backup behind him makes a lot of sense.
Murray is an unrestricted free agent for the 2019 NFL season and his services will likely be desired by several teams looking to add a hard-running, experienced player to their backfield as a rotational player or to be part of a multi-headed rushing attack.
In a recent share on the Officialize website from Latavius Murray himself, a sentiment was shared that he would like to return to the team for the 2019 NFL season.
"“In terms of my future, I’m not sure yet where I’ll be next season. I’d love to be back. I love everything about the Vikings: the team, the organization, the locker room. I believe in what they’re doing here. We’ll see what happens.”"
Minnesota would be smart to try to bring Murray back. His six touchdowns and 578 rushing yards in 2018 paired with Cook’s four total touchdowns and 615 rushing yards would make for a decent combination, especially if the Vikings can upgrade on their run blocking on the offensive line.
Murray said it himself: pairing him with Cook can be a real threat in the backfield.
"“I’d really like the opportunity to compete with and against Dalvin again next season. I do think we can be a force in the backfield.”"
The biggest question is whether or not the Vikings will be able to afford to bring Murray back. Spotrac has his average annual value in 2018 at $5 million and considering the salary cap situation Minnesota is in, they may not be able to afford his services.
This offseason will be an incredibly difficult one for the Minnesota Vikings as they will have to be extremely careful about how they spend their money. Hopefully, they can find a way to make things work with Latavius Murray and other key free agents, but it will take some salary cap magic to make it happen.