4 Saints players whose stock has changed during training camp
By Kristen Wong
New Orleans Saints Trending Downward: 3. Latavius Murray
Latavius Murray made some decent plays in camp, but it’s more about what he didn’t do.
New signing Devonta Freeman probably won’t be more than a third-string running back, but if Murray doesn’t perform, Freeman could be coming for his No. 2 spot. Fun fact: Freeman actually played with Winston before at Florida State, so there’s some friendly history already in place.
Murray, of course, has more history with the team having played two seasons in New Orleans and produced consistent numbers. Last year, he rushed for 656 yards on 146 attempts and recorded four touchdowns. While his performance is nothing compared to that of Alvin Kamara, with sparse competition in the last two years, the No. 2 position has always been his.
That attitude of self-entitlement won’t cut it in camp, though.
Barely saw Latavius Murray do anything. I think he got a carry, I noticed him down once in 7-on-7 and only wrote it in my notebook b/c I hadn't seen him much in practice to that point... Newcomer Devonta Freeman got a ton of work and so did the new CBs
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) August 2, 2021
Whether he’s feeling a little too smug about his starting spot, Murray has taken it easy so far, as if he has nothing left to prove.
But let’s face the facts: he’s on the wrong side of 30, the Saints just brought on a new RB, Alex Armah could still find a way into the lineup, and come on, do you really want to look that bad next to Kamara?
Murray’s stock drops mostly because we’re worried about his competitive mentality (or lack thereof). Remember, nothing in training camp is guaranteed.