Latavius Murray signs with Vikings, who are ready to move on from Adrian Peterson

Free agent running back Latavius Murray has found a new home, signing with the Minnesota Vikings early Thursday morning.

The Vikings had the worst rushing attack in the league last season, averaging just 75.3 yards per game. Adrian Peterson, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, missed most of the season with a knee injury, and the team opted not to pick up his option, making him a free agent. The Vikings initally left the door open for his return, but after they signed Murray, made it clear that Peterson is no longer a part of the team’s plans.

”With us signing (Latavius) Murray, Adrian will move on elsewhere,” general manager Rick Spielman said via the team’s Twitter account.

Even with Peterson on the field, the seven-time Pro Bowl running back managed just 72 total yards on his 37 carries in 2016. The combination of Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata didn’t fare much better.

Murray spent the first four years of his career with the Oakland Raiders, who made him a sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He missed his entire rookie year with an injury,but came back in 2014 and excelled in limited action. Murray recorded 424 rushing yards on just 82 carries, supplanting Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew as the new lead back down the stretch.

In 2015, Murray got his chance as the starter and did fairly well, rushing for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. Despite having good stats overall, he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and the Raiders didn’t fully trust him to handle a full workload. In 2016, they drafted DeAndre Washington and signed undrafted rookie Jalen Richard, giving Murray some competition in the backfield.

Murray battled injuries last year and ultimately ended up being a part-time player, seeing just 195 carries compared to 266 in 2015. He ended up with 788 rushing yards and proved to be a valuable asset in short-yardage situations, punching in 12 touchdowns.

Murray might not be a true three-down back, but at 6’3, 230 pounds, he’s a proven talent as a power back who can grind out tough yards. And that’s exactly the type of running back that the Vikings need now that the Peterson era is over.