The Vikings early Thursday morning signed former Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray, and by doing so they likely closed the door on the Adrian Peterson era.
Murray first got to town Tuesday and arrived at Winter Park on Wednesday morning to meet with the coaching staff and check out the facility. Former Green Bay Packers tight end Jared Cook was also visiting.
The Vikings announced a little after 8 p.m. Wednesday night that Cook had left Winter Park without a contract. Meanwhile, Murray lingered for a few more hours before officially putting pen to paper a little bit before 1 a.m. Thursday.
The contract is for $15 million over three years, with $8.5 million guaranteed.
Murray, listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, rushed for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016 behind one of the NFL's top offensive lines. In 2015, he topped 1,000 yards. But the Raiders did not prioritize keeping Murray, who turned 27 in January.
A New York native who played collegiately at Central Florida, Murray rushed for 2,278 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four years in Oakland, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Murray, originally a sixth-round pick by the Raiders in 2013, is also considered to be a quality pass protector in the backfield, and he made 74 receptions combined in 2015 and 2016.
Murray joins a backfield that includes Jerick McKinnon, Bishop Sankey and C.J. Ham. The Vikings are also expected to pick one of the many talented running backs in this year's draft. But the backfield probably won't include Peterson.
The Vikings decided last month to not exercise their $18 million team option on Peterson's contract for the upcoming 2017 season. That made him a free agent for the first time in his 10-year career. Suitors have not exactly lined up for Peterson, who has made one visit, to Seattle, since free agency began last Thursday.
