Latavius Murray will see his first NFL game action

Aug 28, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray (28) is defended by Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas (29) at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Drafted out of Central Florida in the 6th Round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, Latavius Murray was touted as being one of the top Running Backs in his draft class.  Unfortunately, Murray suffered an injury to his foot before the start of the 2013 season, and he was placed on Injured Reserve (IR).

Entering into his second season, Murray has primarily been utilized as a kickoff returner, but he had one of his best games to date in the Preseason against the Seattle Seahawks as a running back.  With Maurice Jones-Drew nursing a broken hand, Murray is set to see his first action in the regular season at running back.  Murray will be Darren McFadden’s backup/relief when the Raiders host the Houston Texans.

At 6′ 3″ and 230 lbs., Murray is a beast of a runner, and he can get his pads really low.  At his Pro-Day in 2013, Murray ran a 4.38 40-yard dash time.  Speed is not the issue here.  In a lot of ways, this will be Murray’s breakout game.  Look for his role in this offense to increase as the game progresses, and I believe that he will eventually supplant Darren McFadden.

Murray is a downhill, shove it in your face, runner who has a bigger base (legs) than DMC, and he is very good at pass protection.  I believe that the Raiders need to use Murray a lot in this game, as the Texans haven’t really seen a lot of film on Murray yet.  Therefore, this could be a healthy advantage for the Raiders offense.

Although Murray is primarily the kick returner, there are others that can take his place on the kick return team and allow him to become a featured back.  It’s time for this draft pick to start being a regular contributor on offense.  I thought the Raiders could have used him as a running back against the NY Jets, and he would have added that element missing in the run game.  Apparently, I was wrong and the Raiders lost.  Now it’s time pull out all the stops and use these bell cows the way they were meant to be used.  Stop hesitating and do it!  Go Raiders!