Is Latavius Murray in Minnesota's plans for the near future?
After two games, the former Pro Bowler has just nine snaps, which is third behind Dalvin Cook (88) and Jerick McKinnon (33). Murray has five rushes for 12 yards to his name so far.
"I think it's still evolving," Murray said, via the Pioneer Press. "Whenever I'm in there, I need to make the most of it; continue to keep grasping this offense so I can be an efficient player in this offense."
While running back depth is never a bad thing, perhaps the Vikings were simply keeping Murray off the trading block while they saw what second-round pick Dalvin Cook blossomed into (or could just be waiting for Murray to make up for time lost to an ankle injury this offseason). Two games into Minnesota's young season, Cook has turned out to be as complete a running back as we've seen in the NFL. While his receiving skills still need refining, Cook has 191 yards on 34 carries so far. He's on pace -- and seems perfectly able -- to carry the ball nearly 275 times this season.
At some point, Murray, who is signed through 2019, might be more attractive to an injury-riddled team with playoff aspirations than the Vikings. Murray is just a season removed from a 12-touchdown year in Oakland and two seasons removed from a 1,066-yard year. He has never averaged fewer than four yards per carry at the end of 16 games.
The positive for Minnesota is that he's not making a fuss about what is clearly a different role than he expected.
"I still think I'm making my mark," Murray said. "I've had a few plays, and a few more in this last game. Those plays that I was in weren't perfect. I still have to assess the plays I am in and make sure I'm getting better there. That way, my role in this offense will keep evolving."
