Getty Broncos running back Latavius Murray reacts after scoring a touchdown at Empower Field At Mile High on October 23, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills infused their roster with youth in the 2023 NFL draft, and now they’re adding a veteran presence.
The team announced on May 1 that they signed former Pro Bowl running back Latavius Murray to a one-year deal. The 33-year-old appeared in 13 games last season with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints, rushing for 760 yards and six touchdowns. Murray has played for five teams over the course of his nine-year NFL career, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his second season in the league with the then-Oakland Raiders.
As the Bills noted in their announcement on Monday, Murray could bring a strong and physical presence to Buffalo’s backfield.
“The 6-3, 230-pound back, who has averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his career, is a bruising tailback who can push the pile in short yardage and break tackles for extra yards,” the team noted. “Murray has largely been part of committee backfields in his career but does have one 1,000-yard rushing season when he rushed for 1,066 yards in 2015.”
Murray had previously made a free-agent visit to the Bills in April, but it did not result in an immediate deal for the veteran back.
Bills Building Competition at Running Back
The Bills have already made some other additions to their running back room, signing former New England Patriots back Damien Harris and giving last year’s trade-deadline acquisition, Nyhem Hines, a new contract.
Second-year back James Cook is also expected to take on a larger share of the carries, especially after the departure of former starting back Devin Singletary in free agency.
Bills sign RB Latavius Murray to one-year deal.
While it’s not clear what role Murray might play, the Bills in the past have kept four running backs on the game-day roster — though veteran Taiwan Jones played almost exclusively in a special teams capacity. General manager Brandon Beane has also shown a penchant for picking up veteran backs, with the versatile Duke Johnson stashed on the practice squad last season.
Latavius Murray Could Fill Need in Buffalo
After the completion of last week’s NFL draft, Beane said he was happy that the Bills added some versatility to their offense with the selection of talented tight end Dalton Kincaid and 6-foot-4 wide receiver Justin Shorter.
Beane said he wants the offense to have the ability to play out of multiple formations and use different game plans depending on the opponent, taking some of the pressure off quarterback Josh Allen.
“This week we need to air it out. This week we need to run it a little bit more, adding Damien Harris, probably a more physical guy,” Beane said. “James Cook in year two. Nyheim coming back from seven, eight games with us, has the whole offseason to learn our offense and special teams. So all of it is to make it to where Josh can play quarterback and not feel like he’s got to do everything.”
Beane had previously stressed the need for the team to bring in more size at running back, and the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Murray will do that. He has been one of the league’s tallest running backs, along with Tennessee Titans bruiser Derrick Henry.