5 free agent running backs the Minnesota Vikings could sign in 2019
By Chris Schad
Latavius Murray
2018 Stats
- 140 carries, 578 yards, 6 TD
- 22 catches, 141 yards
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. With the way that Murray has backed up Cook the past two seasons, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep him on the roster as a complement to the electric starter.
Murray was solid spelling Cook after he tore his ACL early in the 2017 season and ran for 842 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground while Jerick McKinnon soaked up most of the receiving work. Last year yielded a similar script with Cook going down from Weeks 2-8 and Murray did an admirable job carrying the load.
The downside to bringing Murray back is there isn’t much upside here. The veteran, who turned 29 back in January, has hovered around four yards per carry for each of the past four seasons and is more of a downgrade from Cook as opposed to one that can keep the rushing attack at an elite level.
Murray has previously said this offseason that he would “love to be back” with the Vikings, but with limited funds in free agency, there may be wiser ways to spend it than re-signing a running back in his late 20s.