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Unhappy with his role in the Eagles' offense, high-priced running back DeMarco Murray made his feelings known to owner Jeffrey Lurie, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.
Murray "doesn't want to cause a scene," Werder writes, but is obviously dissatisfied after playing just 14 of the Eagles' 61 offensive snaps in the win over the Patriots.
After the game, Murray said the right things about putting the team over himself and how the win was what mattered. But, to borrow a line from former Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, Murray didn't exactly sign up for this.
"DeMarco Murray is competitive, high-character player who must feel abilities not being used fully and promises not fulfilled," Werder wrote on Twitter. "In tough spot."
The Eagles signed Murray this past offseason to a five-year, $40 million contract with $21 million guaranteed. When Murray signed, he did so with full knowledge that the Eagles already had a deep backfield with Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. But even in his most realistic or pessimistic visions, Murray probably couldn't have foreseen the running back situation playing out like this, or such mediocrity from himself after rushing for 1,845 yards last season.
In 11 games this season, Murray has carried the ball 163 times for 569 yards, a 3.5-yard average. Mathews, meanwhile, has 427 rushing yards on just 75 carries for a 5.7-yard average. He also has more rushing touchdowns (five) than Murray (four).
But even with Mathews out the last three weeks with a concussion, Murray has not improved. Meaningful carries in Foxboro went to Sproles and Kenjon Barner, with Barner staying in the game late in the fourth quarter when the Eagles attempted to run out the clock. That would seem to be the type of role the Eagles signed Murray to play, but no.
NFL
Head coach Chip Kelly on Monday downplayed any possible demotion for Murray, saying it was just the flow of the Patriots game and the type of defensive front the Eagles were facing that led he and RBs coach Duce Staley to use Sproles and Barner over Murray.
But it sure seemed like a demotion. It sure seems like a tense situation is being created. And it sure seems like the Eagles' options are limited. Cutting Murray before next June 1 would result in $13 million of dead cap money for the Eagles. That dead cap number drops to $5 million in 2017, $2 million in 2018 and $1 million in 2019, making it significantly more palatable for the Birds to part ways with Murray after 2016 than before.
In the meantime, Kelly and Staley will be tasked with configuring a running back rotation that keeps players happy while also keeping the offense on schedule.