The Facts: Speaking Tuesday at the Annual League Meeting, HC Mike Mularkey reiterated that he plans on Murray remaining the workhorse and isn't worried about last season's load affecting him this year. "He's very well-conditioned, even with his toe (injury) last year you look at him and he was still pretty effective," Mularkey said. "I'm not worried about wearing him down."
Diehards Line:
Once again, this is nothing new. Mularkey said the exact same thing at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. He'll probably say it again. We should probably believe him. ... That said, Last season Murray finished with 293 carries and 346 total touches (21.6 touches per game). Rookie Derrick Henry saw just 123 touches (8.2 touches per game) with 110 carries. The last time Murray played 16 games and touched the ball more than 300 times was his Offensive Player of the Year season in 2014 -- when he had 449 touches. After that monster season, the now 29-year-old's legs looked tired, and he was a poor fit in Chip Kelly's offense in Philadelphia leading to a disastrous 2015. Mularkey doesn't believe a similar cliff is coming for Murray this season. At the very least, Murray gets a chance to prove it.