After DeMarco Murray carried the ball 392 times with Dallas in 2014, his total dipped to just 193 totes last year in Philadelphia. After getting a fresh start with his trade to the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, Murray was in a joking mood.
"I feel like I took a year off last year, so I am fresh,'' Murray quipped to the Titans' official website Wednesday.
While not exactly Aaron Rosscalling playing a year in Jacksonville a "paid vacation," the notion is sure to rile up Philly fans.
Murray hasn't looked the same since the end of the 2014 season, when the workload appeared to weigh on him. Last season with the Eagles, the running back lacked speed, quickness and lateral agility. At certain times it looked like Murray was attempting to carry a piano through quicksand.
After averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per carry last season, Murray is out to prove that was an aberration.
"I'm 100 percent (motivated)," he said. "The NFL is a place where you have to make the best of your opportunities, and every day is a challenge, every day is a competition. I look forward to competing every day and getting back on track and running the ball the way I know I can, and running plays I am intrigued by."
Can he prove his down season was due to ex-Eagles coach Chip Kelly's offense and not the product of a running back in decline? We remain skeptical, but he'll certainly get the chance to carry a large workload under coach Mike Mularkey in Tennessee.
