Latavius Murray - Saints Player Recap (2019)
After two successful seasons together, the Saints Pro Bowl backfield tandem of Mark Ingram II and Alvin Kamara, aka "Boom and Zoom," split up following the 2018 season. On March 13, 2019, Ingram, 30, signed a 3-year, $15M contract with the Baltimore Ravens after spending the first 7 years of his NFL career with the Saints, who selected him in the 1st Round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
© Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
With a hole in the backfield following Ingram's departure, GM Mickey Loomis dove into free agency searching for a running back that would complement the rising superstar in Alvin Kamara. Just hours after the official announcement that Ingram was Baltimore bound, the Saints made their move signing 2015 Pro Bowl selection Latavius Murray, 30, to a 4-year contract worth over 14 million dollars per season.
Murray was looking for a fresh start after leaving Minnesota. The success of Florida State product Dalvin Cook cut Murray's reps by over 75 touches in 2018. Murray elected to hit free agency after the Vikings found their tailback of the future in Cook and elected to become apart of the bayou's 1-2 punch with the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In his first game as a Saint, Murray came out swinging, scoring on a 30-yard gallop to the end-zone vs. Houston on Monday Night Football. Murray finished with 43 yards in his Saints debut and walked away with a "W" as Wil Lutz played the role of hero, knocking through a game-winning field goal as time expired.
After nagging injuries kept Alvin Kamara sidelined, Murray stepped into a larger role for the Saints during the early goings of 2019. With QB Drew Brees missing time alongside of Kamara, it was the "back-up brigade" of Teddy Bridgewater and Latavius Murray that shouldered the load, leading the Saints to a 5-0 record without Brees and a 6 game winning streak.
Murray became an integral part of Saints Head Coach Sean Payton's offense while the Saints fought off the injury bug. The 30 year old tailback strung together his best games in the month of October, finding pay-dirt 4 times (3 rushing, 1 receiving) and rushing for 100+ yards in back-to-back games against Chicago and Arizona.
Murray's Season By The Numbers:
Rushing Attempts: 146
Rushing Yards: 637 (39.8 Avg. Yards per Game)
Yards per Attempt: 4.4
Rushing Touchdowns: 5
Receptions: 34
Receiving Yards: 235 (14.6 Avg. Yards per Game)
Yards per Catch: 7.9
Receiving Touchdowns: 1
© Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Replacing a fan favorite is never easy, and that proved to be the case for Murray in his first season in New Orleans. While Murray is not the bowling ball bruising style of runner that Mark Ingram II was for the Saints, Murray's tall frame and long strides make him one of the most difficult tackles in the NFC.
Looking ahead to the 2020 season, Murray should benefit from a healthy offensive-line, quarterback, and running mate in the backfield. While the expectations will be for a bounce back year for the Saints RBs as a whole, fans should not expect a 1,000-yard and 10 touchdown season out of Murray. However, Murray has proven to be a steady back in the NFL, look for Murray to range around 750 yards and 7 touchdowns if the Saints offense is clicking on all cylinders next season.
Follow Saints News Contributor: Brendan Boylan on Twitter: @btboylan
Continue to follow all your Saints coverage through Si’s Saints Team Channel: @SaintsNews on Twitter.
