As we head into offseason workouts and approach OTAs, the time has come to start discussing position battles. Unless you're an Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson or J.J. Watt of the world, than your position may be up for grabs. Competition is key to any successful organization. May the best man win.
One position battle that will be taking place at the running back spot is between second-year rusher Latavius Murray and free agent addition Trent Richardson of the Oakland Raiders. Which ball carrier will come out on top?
"Latavius Murray: The Raiders aren't sure Murray is ready to be the starter, but he will compete against the newly signed Trent Richardson. My money is on Murray based on his explosion," ESPN Raiders reporter Bill Williamson wrote.
You know what? I agree with him.
The knock against Murray is that he only has 82 career carries, hardly a big enough sample size to draw any firm conclusions about the 2013 sixth-rounder. The knock against Richardson is...everything else. Two teams that spent a first-round pick on Richardson have given up on him. In three seasons he has never eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing, 4.0 YPC or topped the 11 touchdowns he scored as a rookie. In his last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Richardson managed a paltry 519 rushing yards on 159 carries (3.3 YPC) and only three touchdowns.
Murray, on the other hand, impressed in his limited playing time. He rushed for 424 yards and two touchdowns on a 5.2 YPC average while catching 17 passes for 143 yards. He also ran a sub 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL combine a few years back. Williamson is right to point out his explosiveness. Murray's longest rush last year was a 90 yard scamper against the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that saw him rush for 112 yards on four carries (!) and score two touchdowns.
We don't know if Murray can handle the full work load of being a feature back. But we know he is probably a better option than Trent Richardson.
