Murray voices displeasure to Eagles' owner: After the Eagles' improbable 35-28 victory over the Patriots, DeMarco Murray sought out Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie to express his frustration over his reduced role in Chip Kelly's offense.
Source: #Eagles DeMarco Murray addressed frustrations with role in Chip Kelly offense with owner Jeffrey Lurie. Doesn't want to cause scene
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) December 8, 2015
Source says that conversation between @DeMarcoMurray and #Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took place on team flight, not in executive offices
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) December 8, 2015
Murray, 27, carried the ball just eight times for 24 yards while Darren Sproles and 26-year-old Kenjon Barner combined for 105 yards on 24 carries, good for about 4.4 yards per carry.
Kelly appeared to deliberately limit Murray's carries against the Patriots in light of the running back's struggles this season. Last year's rushing yards leader has recorded just 569 yards on 163 carries, good for a meager 3.5 yards per carry. The trio of Sproles, Ryan Mathews, and Barner have combined for 767 yards on 160 carries, good for 4.8 yards per carry.
While Murray has been the least efficient of the bunch, he signed a $42 million deal thinking that he would be a key cog in the Eagles' offensive attack. But in hindsight, the move to sign Murray might have been a misguided one by Kelly, who gained full control of personnel last offseason.
Murray, who's an effective downhill runner, has been asked to run outside plays where his shoulders are perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. The result hasn't been pretty, as Murray's lack of speed has inhibited him from being able to turn the corner outside the tackles. However, Sproles, Mathews, and even Barner possess the speed necessary to execute those plays.
With Mathews set to return from a concussion Sunday against the Bills, it'll be interesting to see if Murray's carries continue to be limited.
Seahawks release CB Williams: For the second time in nine months, Cary Williams has been released by an NFL team. Williams was released by the Eagles last March following a disappointing 2014 season, and the Seahawks released the corner Monday after a disappointing 10 games.
"It's a short amount of time to try and catch up with all of the real specifics of our techniques and stuff. But he did a nice job," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Williams, via ESPN. "He progressed with it. But we feel more comfortable with the guys that have been with us, and so we made the move.
"He was a real pro. He worked hard in practice and all that. His attitude was excellent."
Williams was benched during the Seahawks' Week 11 game against the 49ers. He was then listed as inactive the next two games.
The 30-year-old signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Seahawks during the offseason. The team hoped that he would fill the void left by Byron Maxwell, who signed a six-year deal with the Eagles.
Reports: Manziel to be Browns' starting QB: After being benched for two games following off-the-field issues, Johnny Manziel will return as the Browns' starting quarterback, according to ESPN.
While sources have said that Manziel has been named the starter, Browns head coach Mike Pettine denied the reports, saying that he has not discussed the team's plans with the quarterbacks.
If Manziel does start, it will come at home against the 4-8 49ers. The team is expected to use the final games of the season to evaluate whether or not Manziel can transform himself into a franchise quarterback. Maturity and on-field performance has been an issue early on in Manziel's career.
The team disciplined the former first-round pick after he lied to the coaching staff about a video that surfaced of him partying in a Texas nightclub. Former starter Josh McCown had his season end after suffering a broken collarbone. He was replaced by backup Austin Davis, who finished 25-of-38 for 230 yards and an interception.
In six games, the 23-year-old Manziel has completed just 59.4 percent of his passes for 933 yards to go along with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
