With former first-round pick and starter Darren McFadden off to the Cowboys this offseason, the spot at the top of the Oakland Raiders running back depth chart is pretty wide open. Latavius Murray is expected to get the first crack at the gig and while another former first-round pick, Trent Richardson, was signed to a middling offseason deal with the hopes that a new environment would finally help him realize his potential, early returns on the Raiders and GM Reggie McKenzie's modest investment have not been good. Richardson's loss is apparently undrafted free agent Michael Dyer's gain and along with the recently added Roy Helu, Jr., there's certainly talent at the ballcarrier position for the Raiders. The question of who will bear the brunt of the load though, has not yet been answered and to hear McKenzie tell it, the guy who should and could stake his claim to the title of top rusher in Oakland, Murray, has been his own worst enemy to this point.
"I think he's holding himself back," McKenzie said, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. "Being able to practice all the time, not having nitpicking injuries. Last season, leading up to it, he was nicked up. So, if he could stay healthy, nothing is holding him back."
Murray, a sixth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2013 NFL Draft, has garnered just 82 carries and 17 receptions thus far in his NFL career. Still, despite that and despite the fact that he hasn't yet taken the Raiders job and run with it - pun intended - McKenzie believes Murray's got the talent to get the job done.
"No question," McKenzie said. "He can do it all."
Murray seems to have taken the challenge set forth by McKenzie and new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio quite seriously this offseason. Per Tafur, he rented a house in Newport Beach and spent the offseason working out with Jaguars franchise quarterback Blake Bortles. He also spent time working with friend and trainer Vinny Scollo. Raiders offensive line coach Mike Tice has already seen a noticeable difference in Murray thus far in Raider training camp.
"For a big guy, Latavius has extremely good quickness," Tice said. "And when he gets behind his pads, he is hard to tackle. Smaller linebackers might be in serious trouble."
With the foot injury his rookie year and ankle injury and concussion from last season finally behind him, Murray sounds like a guy who is ready to make a name for himself as a Raider and an NFL player.
"I had a great offseason, and I want that to carry over," he said.
With young franchise quarterback Derek Carr still developing and breaking in both a new offensive system and a bevy of new weaponry, if Murray can provide a consistent threat from the running back position, things could look much different in Oakland in 2015 than they have in the recent past.
