According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, DeMarco Murray and the Philadelphia Eagles are not on good terms. It is no secret the running back struggled under head coach Chip Kelly while splitting time in a four-man rotation. After signing a five-year, $42 million contract, Murray did not put up the numbers the Eagles were expecting and now his future with the franchise is shaky. Regardless of the reports, Murray is stressing he is staying put.
"No. I'm signed there for the next four years. I don't know where that story is coming from," Murray said, via Pro Football Talk Live. "It's a little crazy. Every week I feel like there's something new. It's a little weird. I can't worry about what people are saying. I'll just continue to work hard. I'm signed for four years and I'm committed."
According to Rapoport, the Oakland Raiders were a team seeking to trade for Murray this offseason along with the Seattle Seahawks. Murray is denying the idea is true leaving the Raiders to search for other options at the position. Oakland appears to have found their No.1 running back in Latavius Murray who is coming off a career-high year with the team, but the best teams in the league run with two star backs and not just one. That means the Raiders need help.
"I have to continue to do the things I need to do so I'm producing, I'm playing my best," Murray said, via the team website. "To be honest, because like I said, I felt that I left so much out there. To me, it didn't feel like a 1,000-yard season. There were games where there was absolutely nothing. For me, I just know I want to get better. I know that if I can move it 1,000 yards with that kind of season, then there's a lot more out there for me."
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Roy Helu is likely to get released this season while the Raiders find an upgrade. Could that come in the NFL Draft? The best available rookies are Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott. According to team sources, the Raiders could easily select one in the second round to run tandem with Murray. However, with other needs to fill in the draft, the Raiders might be better suited to find someone in free agency instead.
ESPN.com reports Marshawn Lynch could be an option. It has been assumed the running back is done in Seattle and given his ties to Oakland, the Raiders are an ideal landing spot. The issue is that Lynch has no plans on being a backup which he could be in Oakland. Bilal Powell, James Starks and Ronnie Hillman who are more suited for the No.2 rusher role could be easier pickups than the veteran.
