The Vikings signed former Raiders running back Latavius Murray to a three-year deal Wednesday night. With this signing of a new halfback, former Viking Adrian Peterson's time in Minnesota has come to an end according to their GM Rick Spielman. The Vikings found a cheaper deal than what Peterson might've been asking, and found some quality in a young talented back. With Peterson knowing his time with the Vikings is over, he now can look at his options in free agency.
Murray's the man
Latavius Murray is a solid replacement for the Hall of Fame-caliber back in Peterson.
Murray's contract is a three-year $15 million deal with the Vikings. Murrays ran well in 2016 with the Raiders, averaging four yards per carry last season. He was a touchdown machine, totaling 12 TDs in 2016. Murray's good season could be credited to the offensive line of the Oakland Raiders, one of the best in the league. The Vikings were in need of a running back after letting Peterson go, as Minnesota averaged 3.3 yards per carry last year. That average was the lowest in the league.
GM Rick Spielman on a conference call made it known that Minnesota was moving on from Peterson. He said, "With us signing Murray, Adrian will move on elsewhere. Adrian is probably going to go down as one of the greatest Minnesota Vikings in team history...he'll always be a Viking, I know, to the fans and the people in this building.
And he will always have a special place in this franchise and we are very fortunate that we were able to have Adrian Peterson spend most of his career as a Minnesota Viking." (ESPN).
Peterson's next move
Now that the Vikings found their new back, what will happen to Adrian Peterson? Peterson is still on the free agent market, being the best talent available.
He could go where Murray was, as he cited the great O-line as a reason to go there. No one knows if the Raiders are interested in Peterson, but they should give him a look. Peterson also showed interest in the Texans, Bucs, and Giants. Peterson posted a video of him working out, showing he still has what it takes to be an elite running back.
Peterson will need to make himself a better receiving back. That is his glaring weakness, and in an NFL where teams are pass-heavy, he needs to be a double-edged sword. He has little experience in shotgun and pistol offenses, where the NFL is moving to. Teams interested in Peterson need to make sure he can be a reliable pass option before they show him the money.
Murray is in, and Peterson is out, as there is a new shift in the Vikings offense. Murray will provide a pass-run option for the new offense, giving them more ways to beat you. Peterson is still on the market looking for his new home, but he might want to post more pass catching videos to prove he can be a runner-receiver in the new NFL.
