Former New Orleans Saints running back Latavius Murray called it quits Thursday afternoon. After playing 10 years in the NFL, Murray posted a video on social media to formally announce his retirement.
.The Saints have seen their fair share of retirements this offseason. Tyrann Mathieu, Derek Carr and Jimmy Graham all announced they're stepping away from football. It's hard to put Murray next to those players, as it has been years since he played for New Orleans.
If there was one player to compare Murray's announcement to, it would be Graham rather than Mathieu and Carr. Like Graham, Murray didn't play football last year. After being away from the game for a year, the veterans decided to make it official.
The Saints haven't had a strong complement to Alvin Kamara since Latavius Murray
Murray's time in New Orleans was short and slightly under-appreciated. He was only with the Saints for two full seasons, and in that time, he was in a supporting role to Alvin Kamara.
Mark Ingram II is the first running back to come to mind when thinking about players to share the backfield with Kamara. For many fans, he is likely the only running back that pops in their mind. Ingram was Kamara's vet when he first entered the league, and the duo had a bond that extended beyond the field to things like joint interviews.
We shouldn't forget about Murray, however. When Ingram went to Baltimore in free agency, the Saints quickly scooped up Murray. He provided a perfect complement to Kamara as the latter transitioned into being the Saints lead guy at the position.
Murray didn't light up the box score, but his role didn't require him to. He was very consistent in his two years with the Saints. He received 146 carries both seasons and had nearly identical yardage totals and touchdowns. Murray was a physical runner who still had decent speed at the time. It was his physicality allowed Kamara to remain the dynamic player that made him special.
The Saints are still looking for someone who can complement Kamara in the way Murray did. Since his departure you've seen an uptick in carries and less receptions for Kamara.