With Oakland's ground game set to channel through Latavius Murray this season, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave believes Raiders fans are going to like what they see from the third-year running back.
Murray has "made very positive impressions" on the entire coaching staff, according to Musgrave, who said, per Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area: "He has been working a lot on his hands so he can be a good receiver out of the backfield, because we don't want a guy that's going to be a liability when we go to throw the ball. He's really been working on that. Of course, he's got the body and the ability to really be a good player at this level."
Said Musgrave: "Staying low is most definitely a big deal; that's what he's done his whole life. He's been blessed with his body so he's got to protect it. He has a lot of surface to get hit because he's so tall."
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Murray surged down the stretch last season, churning out all but 11 of his 424 yards over the final six games of 2014. His 5.17 yards per carry trailed only four other runners across the NFL.
What makes Murray so fun to watch on Game Pass is his breakaway speed. With 4.38 wheels, the 2013 sixth-rounder boasts a comprehensive Speed Score of 121, which ranks above Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray, Eddie Lacy, Marshawn Lynch and Le'Veon Bell. The run-of-the-mill NFL back logs in with a Speed Score of around 100.
"He's got great vision," Musgrave said. "Not just because he's tall, even if he was 5-8. I think he'd have really good vision. He can anticipate things and jump through those cracks, almost before they open."
It's been eons since Oakland has boasted a watchable offense, but Murray and rookie receiver Amari Cooper form the building blocks of a young attack that offers new promise. For Raiders fans, it's been a long time coming.
