5 NFL Running Backs Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)
4. Down - Latavius Murray
Simply put, Latavius Murray didn't set himself up to succeed this offseason. He left a fairly comfortable job on the Oakland Raiders for the Minnesota Vikings, a team that fielded one of the worst rushing attacks of all time in 2016. Even worse, he'll be looking at significant competition in Minnesota, as the Vikings drafted top rookie running back Dalvin Cook in the second round and even if Murray wins the starting job, he'll be looking over his shoulder all season.
If he does start, Murray will be playing alongside Sam Bradford, a quarterback who can best be described in a combination of three yard passes and belabored sighs. The Vikings will likely heap a huge workload on their running backs to hide their QB's glaring flaws, which is a bad sign for Murray, because the Vikings' offensive line is a wreck.
Their pass protection is bad enough, but their run protection is so bad, it significantly contributed to the Vikings registering only 1,205 total rushing yards. Murray ran behind an excellent o-line in Oakland and adapting to the Vikings' mess will put a serious dent in his effectiveness.