Bills sign Latavius Murray to a one-year deal

[Warriorspikes51]

We've kept 4 RB's on the 53 because of Taiwan Jones, so I assume he's not being brought back and perhaps the UDFA WR Shavers will take his duties 

[Chicken Boo]

25 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Bizarre. I sort of liked who they were riding with before. Too crowded. 

 

Latavius is insurance.  Harris is injury prone and it remains to be seen if Cook can handle a full workload.  Based on last year, they don't believe in Hines much at all.

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, dave mcbride said:

Murray went to Onondaga Central High School (south of Syracuse and on the edge of the Finger Lakes).

 

He's had a pretty solid career as a second tier RB: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MurrLa00.htm. 

 

Perhaps most importantly, he's had 10 fumbles on 1,703 touches in his career, which is a very low rate. And he's only fumbled three times in his last 1,075 touches, going back to the beginning of the 2017 season (by way of comparison, Devin Singletary has fumbled 13 times on 817 total touches). That is extraordinarily low, and people should never underestimate the skill of avoiding fumbles for NFL coaches. The running game is supposed to be safe.  Turnovers are OK in the passing game because the rewards are so much higher, but not in the running game where you're assuming a little over 4 yards per play on average.

 

Murray's size and ball security may result in him being the "punisher" to wear teams down late once we have the lead

[Virgil]

I feel like Murray and Harris won't both make the roster in training camp.  

 

Good to have options.  I do feel like, between the draft and the type of guys we are bringing in, we will finally have a somewhat power run game

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

9 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

OL?  Pretty big upgraded from last year.. WR also very much improved the bottom half of that group.  Safety they also upgraded that position as a group.  

 

I mean you get hyde healthy too - so S is upgraded.  You get White back with camp,  he should play better this year - so id consider that a CB upgrade.  Elam/Benford got some valuable experience.  

[Warriorspikes51]

Just now, Virgil said:

I feel like Murray and Harris won't both make the roster in training camp.  

 

Good to have options.  I do feel like, between the draft and the type of guys we are bringing in, we will finally have a somewhat power run game

 

if they are healthy, they will 

[hondo in seattle]

13 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

RB might be the only position group besides TE that we have improved at. Everything else is the same or worse. They really seemed to focus on getting some veteran help at that position this year.

 

OL is better...  We signed two guards in free agency, both of which are probably better than Saffold.  Then we drafted two more guards.

 

Safety is better is Poyer and Hyde are healthy this year since they weren't last.  Plus we added Rapp.

 

The receiver group is better with the free agents and Kincaid.  

[BuffaloBill]

21 minutes ago, MPL said:

This definitely feels like insurance in the event Harris misses time. Harris and Murray probably won't be active at the same time. 

or maybe, just maybe, they're bringing back the wishbone formation.

 

 

Wishbone with Josh Allen in it?  Would definitely be trendsetting. 

[JackKemp]

14 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said:

Is Taiwan history now?

Nope, China hasn't made their move yet.

[Brand J]

11 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

You have him starting over Bates? Let the kid get on the field before you say his is better than what we have. Bills traded up for Ford a few years back and everyone here loved that pick too 

To say the IOL hasn’t improved, that would suggest you believe that McGovern and the 2nd rookie Torrence are on par with Rodger Saffold, that neither is an upgrade. Is this true?

[muppy]

6 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I feel like Murray and Harris won't both make the roster in training camp.  

 

Good to have options.  I do feel like, between the draft and the type of guys we are bringing in, we will finally have a somewhat power run game

a power running game which will hopefully ultimately  take carries away from Josh Allen. McD has stated he wants to do that. I hope the running game backs that do make the squad are able to perform better due to a superior OL? I say YES they will.

Edited May 1, 2023 by muppy

[hondo in seattle]

11 minutes ago, Bruffalo said:

I'm kind of confused as to why.  That's a crowded RB room.  Is this some kind of competition for Harris? 

 

If Taiwan is gone, then we might carry four actual running backs with Hines being mostly special teams?

[Rigotz]

33 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

I like Harris, but he has struggled with some injury and fumbles in his career. Murray will provide some nice insurance. Harris is talented, however if he's not what the Bills are thinking he may turn into this year's OJ Howard and Murray ends up rostered. Yet another fun camp battle to watch.

 

This.

 

If you don't like this signing, you don't know the biggest issue with Harris. His health.

 

We need a backup in case he goes down. Otherwise, the short distance running back would be be Nyheim Hines or James Cook.

[KDIGGZ]

11 minutes ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Some people are just miserable no matter

Some people have a brain and well thought out opinions that sometimes go against mainstream thinking. The world would be a pretty boring place if we all just get in line and think exactly the same way 

[Bruffalo]

5 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

If Taiwan is gone, then we might carry four actual running backs with Hines being mostly special teams?

I don't like the idea of Hines being strictly a returner given how much we paid him, but you might be right. 

[KDIGGZ]

6 minutes ago, JayBaller10 said:

To say the IOL hasn’t improved, that would suggest you believe that McGovern and the 2nd rookie Torrence are on par with Rodger Saffold, that neither is an upgrade. Is this true?

The rookie only plays on the right side so he is the backup to Bates until we see otherwise. MCgovern may or may not be better this year than Saffold who is a multiple pro bowl veteran player, we'll see. People seem to be accepting that as a fact for some reason 

[BADOLBILZ]

27 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

This is how you running back, Beane.

 

 

Yeah he's a RB in the "if you need 3 he will give you 4 (and so forth)" vein.    

 

The definition of average ypc production.......but at 230#.    Which is plenty for RB4.

 

Just wish it was no guarantees and vet minimum.   Which it could be but guessing it's a $1.7M with some guarantees.

 

 

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

Some people have a brain and well thought out opinions that sometimes go against mainstream thinking. The world would be a pretty boring place if we all just get in line and think exactly the same way 

 

Explain to me, in well thought out terms how last year's offensive line isn't upgraded upon by removing it's worst player, it's second worst player having a full off-season to try and improve, year 2 of Kromer and the consensus top OG in the Draft added to the mix, along with a solid vet in Edwards and a starting caliber guard who is above average in pass pro with McGovern. 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by SCBills

[KDIGGZ]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

 

Explain to me, in well thought out terms how last year's offensive line isn't upgraded upon by removing it's worst player, it's second worst player having a full off-season to try and improve, year 2 of Kromer and the consensus top OG in the Draft added to the mix, along with a solid vet in Edwards and a starting caliber guard who is above average in pass pro with McGovern. 

 

Your answer is above

[Success]

I'm so glad the Bills remembered there is another facet to offense besides passing.