Bills bulk up backfield, sign Latavius Murray to 1-year deal

Running back Latavius Murray sat down in front of the camera and apologized for being late for his Zoom conference call with reporters shortly after signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills on Monday.

Fifteen minutes is nothing compared to how long Murray had to wait last year before extending his NFL career to an 11th season. Murray had already lined up a job as a volunteer high school coach when he was signed to the New Orleans Saints practice squad in September.

The 33-year-old can put aside switching careers for another season based on how productive he was in closing last season in Denver. He joins a playoff contender in Buffalo, in a move that also brings him closer to his hometown of Syracuse, New York, where his mother still resides.

“You do have some doubts, just, you know, ‘Am I going to get another opportunity?’“Murray said, reflecting on last offseason.

After appearing in one game in New Orleans, Murray was signed off the Saints practice squad and finished with 703 yards rushing and five TDs in 12 games with Denver.

“It’s just so crazy how it works, just the fact that I could go out in Denver and do what I thought I knew I could do,” Murray said. “And so, obviously, here I am and this organization saw that, and so just grateful for the opportunity.”

A sixth-round draft pick in 2013 out of Central Florida, Murray is on his sixth NFL team, including two stints with the Saints, and is the league’s active leader in scoring at least four touchdowns rushing in eight consecutive seasons.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Murray is a noted downhill runner who can add a physical dimension to the Bills’ rushing attack. He joins a running back position that was down to three players — James Cook, Nyheim Hines and freeagent addition Damien Harris — and lost returning starter Devin Singletary to free agency in March.