Bills sign RB Latavius Murray

[YardRat]

Per the app

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

Why?

[TacklingDummy]

Why?

The annual cheap vet backup.

[Canadian'eh!]

I feel like they don’t take RB seriously at all.

[TacklingDummy]

I feel like they don’t take RB seriously at all.

Don't worry, James Cook, barring injury, is going to get 1000 yards this year.

[YardRat]

I think with the picks and UDFA's that puts us at 87.

[Mr. Pink]

Latavius Murray was decent....8 years ago.

Unless we're carrying 5 running backs don't see how he makes the team.

Like none of our offseason moves have made any sense.

[Turf]

I wanted him 2 years ago.

[Ed]

Cheap vet that can still average 4.5 ypc and brings a lot of size. I don't see an issue with bringing him to camp. It's not like they were only going to carry 3 RBs all offseason.

[Forward_Lateral]

He played well at the end of last season, but this is a bit of a head scratcher.

[justasportsfan]

Bills sign vet . Cuts him after camp. RB on team gets injured , we sign back vet rb if no one signed him and he already has an idea what our offense is about.
Beane does this all the time with other positions as well.

[DraftBoy]

Could be insurance in case they are worried about what Harris has left in the tank. Not that Murray would have much more theoretically but that about the only reason I can understand it beyond just camp competition.

[sukie]

They wanted to see how a 6’3” RB looks in the uniform.

[Woodman]

Latavius Murray was decent....8 years ago.

Unless we're carrying 5 running backs don't see how he makes the team.

Like none of our offseason moves have made any sense.
He's our emergency phone call if somebody gets hurt. (Damien Harris insurance)JMO

[Saratoga Slim]

I don't think we need to get any more worked up about signing an aging retread to be our #4 RB than we do about signing guys like Greg Mancz to serve as depth on OL. Probably won't make the team, and if he does, he won't see the field barring catastrophe.

[Mahdi]

Looks like the want every role on the team to have competition in camp…

Harris and Murray battle for short yardage RB.

[Saratoga Slim]

Hmmm. He averaged 4.4 ypc and went for 760 yards last season?!? At age 32 that’s solid. maybe not a bad depth signing/camp competition for the Fresno guy.

https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2023/05/buffalo-bills-sign-running-back-latavius-murray-to-1-year-contract.html

[Forward_Lateral]

I mean if it's little to no guaranteed money, then meh, I'm all for it.

[POTLAND PSILBYLO]

He's been a running back, receiver (as a back), punt and kickoff returner. Offers a lot for one guy as a back up. Plus, 6'3" 230# well rested after a defensive stand can pound through the sweaty mens.

[Woodman]

Brandon Beane told Latavius Murray the Bills wouldn't draft a running back if he signed - ProFootballTalk (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/02/brandon-beane-told-latavius-murray-the-bills-wouldnt-draft-a-running-back-if-he-signed/)

Bills General Manager Brandon Beane wasn’t only thinking about draft picks on Saturday. He was also negotiating a free agent contract.

Beane said the signing of free agent running back Latavius Murray (https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/9729/latavius-murray) was negotiated during Day Three of the draft, with the Bills and Murray agreeing that if he would sign, they wouldn’t draft a running back.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Beane is on with Rich Eisen, pretty much laid out the RB role: Cook the main guy, Harris the perfect compliment to Cook, Murray the short yardage guy. Hines will probably go back to return guy and maybe some gadget plays.

[notacon]

Bills sign vet . Cuts him after camp. RB on team gets injured , we sign back vet rb if no one signed him and he already has an idea what our offense is about.
Beane does this all the time with other positions as well.

And why not. It’s a good strategy.

But I don’t think that Murray is destined to be cut. The Bills typically carry four RB’s on opening day active roster. Last season they were:

Singletary
Cook
Taiwan Jones
Zack Moss


Three of them are now gone.

So far this season the RB’s are:

Cook
Hines
Harris
Murray
Jordan Mims (recent UDFA)

Although the loss of Taiwan Jones was more on special teams, there is little reason to belive the Bills will rely on any les than four RB’s on the active roster.

I suspect that Mims is the one to get cut (and possibly put on practice squad).

Murray was brought in for his vet presence and size. It’s very telling that Beane told Murray that if he signed with the Bills, they would not draft a RB on day three. (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/02/brandon-beane-told-latavius-murray-the-bills-wouldnt-draft-a-running-back-if-he-signed/)

They agreed to do so during the draft with his agent, and completed the deal on Monday.

This sure looks like a smart signing by the Bills. A known entity and very experienced vet over a raw rookie drafted on day 3.

[TigerJ]

And why not. It’s a good strategy.

But I don’t think that Murray is destined to be cut. The Bills typically carry four RB’s on opening day active roster. Last season they were:

Singletary
Cook
Taiwan Jones
Zack Moss


Three of them are now gone.

So far this season the RB’s are:

Cook
Hines
Harris
Murray
Jordan Mims (recent UDFA)

Although the loss of Taiwan Jones was more on special teams, there is little reason to belive the Bills will rely on any les than four RB’s on the active roster.

I suspect that Mims is the one to get cut (and possibly put on practice squad).

Murray was brought in for his vet presence and size. It’s very telling that Beane told Murray that if he signed with the Bills, they would not draft a RB on day three. (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/02/brandon-beane-told-latavius-murray-the-bills-wouldnt-draft-a-running-back-if-he-signed/)

They agreed to do so during the draft with his agent, and completed the deal on Monday.

This sure looks like a smart signing by the Bills. A known entity and very experienced vet over a raw rookie drafted on day 3.I think Mims has a tougher time making the 53 man roster than Murray. Mims is a smaller lighter RB. Buffalo has 2 RBs like that on the roster. Both of them are more physically gifted than Mims. While Murray is 33, he has been remarkably durable throughout his career, and though he is a big back with power, he was very fast coming out of college. He may have slowed down over the years, but he's probably faster than Mims and Harris. He was productive last season. I fully expect the Bills running backs will be Cook, Hines, Harris and Murray. Mims is practice squad at best.

[Typ0]

This is a good signing. Little things about this guy are going to add up for us -- he could fit really well here.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

There is a general directional change on offense: size and reliability.

The Bills have been going with smaller, short area fast guys on offense for awhile. Beasley, Brown, McKenzie, Singletary, James, Diggs. It worked out for them greatly in regular season for some time. But the playoff is just a different animal where things get physical 10 times (and the refs generally allow that more than in regular season). I vividly remember the 1st Chiefs playoff game, and last year's Bengals game, even the middle of 2nd Chiefs playoff game, opponents basically bullied us and we were all saying how much grabbing those Chiefs defenders were doing. I think using more 12 personnel and having bigger, capable running backs are things they really have playoff performance in mind.

[justasportsfan]

I wonder if he will be this years version of T. J. Yeldon . Hardly active , sitting on the shelf.

[sukie]

6’ 230. I would love him in short yardage then back to the bench

[Woodman]

This is a good signing. Little things about this guy are going to add up for us -- he could fit really well here.
Could actually pay off .... he's determined to get a ring.

[Typ0]

Could actually pay off .... he's determined to get a ring.

When they say "he took less to try and get a ring" I read "a bottom feeder wanted to pay him more to come there and have a brutal- dismal season that sucks the energy out of you by week 8".

Are there details out there what offers he had on the table?

[TigerJ]

I wonder if he will be this years version of T. J. Yeldon . Hardly active , sitting on the shelf.I think the Bills will have 4 RBs active: Cook, Hines, Harris and Murray. The Bills are thinking at this point that Hines is primarily a return specialist who might occasionally be used in a gadget role. Three running backs getting a share of the total number of carries is not at all unusual.

[Jeff1220]

I head Murray on OBD the other day...I didn't realize that he's from Syracuse. It's pretty cool that he has a relatively local connection.

[Woodman]

I heard Murray on OBD the other day...I didn't realize that he's from Syracuse. It's pretty cool that he has a relatively local connection.

Same here ..... said he wasn't a fan of any team in particular but was a fan of certain players .... hopefully he has plenty of juice left in the tank .... he does sound pretty determined to make it happen right here.

[swiper]

Reading comments under this article (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/06/10/latavius-murray-hoping-to-bring-a-championship-to-buffalo/) about Latavius Murray, specifically the person complaining about him from jumping from team to team, made me look up his statistics. Say what you will about the oldest RB in the NFL but his career average is 4.4 yards per attempt. Last year he averaged 5.2 yards per attempt. Give us that hammer for at least one more season, then retire happy. Looking forward to seeing him play in a Bills uniform.

Latavius Murray hoping to bring a championship to Buffalo (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/06/10/latavius-murray-hoping-to-bring-a-championship-to-buffalo/)

Latavius Murray statistics (https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/9729/latavius-murray)

[Woodman]

Reading comments under this article (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/06/10/latavius-murray-hoping-to-bring-a-championship-to-buffalo/) about Latavius Murray, specifically the person complaining about him from jumping from team to team, made me look up his statistics. Say what you will about the oldest RB in the NFL but his career average is 4.4 yards per attempt. Last year he averaged 5.2 yards per attempt. Give us that hammer for at least one more season, then retire happy. Looking forward to seeing him play in a Bills uniform.

Latavius Murray hoping to bring a championship to Buffalo (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/06/10/latavius-murray-hoping-to-bring-a-championship-to-buffalo/)

Latavius Murray statistics (https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/9729/latavius-murray)

I'm sure we'll get whatever he has left!

:gobills: