The Raiders offense was surely dominant in 2016. When Derek Carr wasn’t picking apart defenses with his arm, the running backs were carving up yards on the ground. One of those running backs was Latavius Murray. Latavius is a free agent and has the option to leave Oakland. Although Murray was effective and productive in his role, it’s time for the Raiders to move on from him.
Why Raiders Should Move on From Latavius Murray
Current Depth
Latavius Murray was listed as the starting running back for the Oakland Raiders in 2016. Behind him were rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. Both rookies had big impactful moments during the season. Jalen Richard was immediately impressive as a punt/kick returner while DeAndre Washington showed the ability to make defenders miss in the open field with nasty cuts and jukes. Both young men showed the ability to catch the ball as well. Richard scored two receiving touchdowns. The two rookie running backs proved they can be contributors within this dynamic offense.
Better Options in the Draft
With the 2017 NFL Draft quickly approaching, it appears that this particular draft class is deep with running backs. It would make a lot of sense for the Raiders to draft a young back instead of re-signing Murray. Due to how deep the class is, Oakland can get a starter in the middle rounds. The Raiders can potentially have a running back from the draft that is better, younger, and cheaper than Latavius Murray. Also, with two other running backs already on the roster, the Raiders can pick a player that fits well with them and compliments their playing styles.
He Already Had His Chance
After his breakout game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, the Raider Nation was more than excited to see what Murray could do in a starting role. In 2015, he got his chance. Without any serious competition, Latavius was able to get and secure the starting running back job all season. By the end of the season, he had rushed the ball 266 times for 1,066 yards. Rushing for 1,000 yards is a good thing. Latavius was the feature back in the 2015 season. In fact, the second leading rusher that year was Derek Carr. This shows how much the team leaned on Latavius in the running game. With all of that said, there was a lot of rushing yards left on the field. In 2016, Richard and Washington proved to be good competition and seemed to be more versatile than Latavius. Even though Murray is a solid running back, it might be time for the Raiders to move on.
