wow that was a quick fall. He had a great year just 2 seasons ago and an insane one 4 years ago.
Hard to believe he couldnt have contributed somewhere
This. Third in the NFL two years ago.
I know he got five offers.
****let me backtrack****
NFL folks were real hard on him stinking in Philly. Very few expected him to do well in TEN. Titans were one of the worst teams in the NFL and oh so welcoming. He loved it there. Everything from the city, to the ordinary people, to the veterans, the young guys with great attitudes that JRob was drafting. He moved his family to Tennessee and said he doesn't just plan to retire there but stay there the rest of his life. He was awesome with the younger players and did lots of big brother veteran mentoring stuff. When he was released, the Titans thanked him as if he was like some 10 year guy they drafted and not someone that was briefly there. There was a real major connection there. The change in coaching staff and the NFL's need to get younger latest and greatest etc...it was unfortunate. I wouldn't say Vrabel cut him and cast blame just that Mularkey adored him and never would have cut "his boy."
The Titans big muscular "Titan" has been almost with the team for a few years now. He is a former champion weight lifter/body builder that works/runs a Nashville gym. In some ways, he IS the Titans offseason workout program. All the Titans go workout with him during the offseason and he has done an awesome job sending them to spring camps in better shape than the year before. Two or three years ago, there was a scene at camp where a player got hurt and the player wanted him (watching from stands) and not the trainer or asst trainer. He ran onto the field (no one stopped him) and stretched out the leg cramp then returned to the stands. From there things developed. Players get injured and go to him for strength training and someone else for reflexology. He now attends camp as an advisor and helps with whatever he sees and has free rein- there are stories of him cooking and stories of him telling Mularkey that someone was "done" and "gave all he's got." The Titans organization loves him. He's even trained the owner and taught the general manager's kid the right way to lift weights. Supposedly he gets paid a ton of money as a part time advisor during camp and to be the mascot. He can't be employed in the spring per NFL rules and I guess that's how they work all that out.
Murray always got strains and sprains. He was one of many players that were very close to this guy and would text him often and be at his gym super late Sunday night or super early Monday morning to work through things privately or just chat and ice up....whatever was needed. The Titans have two trainers and they spend a ton of time with them. This guy is the offseason guy and the friend they can turn to. I don't want to overstate his regular season influence which is more chatty than anything else. Anywho Murray was close with him.
Murray got a huge offer from the Bears a day or two after the Titans released him. He couldn't believe he was released. The Bears had Jordan Howard leaving and staying stuff, a losing team, a new staff, and... he turned them down. He received veteran minimum offers from a ton of teams and turned them down. Then things got real quiet.
*****one more backtrack*****
Murray felt like he had an impressive college career and was hurt pretty badly by "everyone" saying he was just a third down scat back and wouldn't be much in the NFL but a complimentary player. He spent his whole career proving them wayyyy wrong.
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Recently he received five offers. The Titans again offered him the veteran minimum as did the Pats. Belichick has a stable of RBs but a veteran that has played WR and RB, gem of a lockerroom presence, and is excellent in pass protection- BB would have used him. I thought it'd upset the FF world with everyone buying on every Pats RB, as Murray bumped someone out. I'm not arguing this point- just to say that BB has a long history of utilizing useful veterans near the end of their careers so Murray would be the next in line and JRob copies whatever he can from the Pats.
The Bears again made a considerable offer but have denied they did for whatever reason.
One of the Jets or Giants made him an offer. The guess is that it was to mentor Barkley.
The fifth team I don't know but now some say it was the Browns. Mary Kay says it's wasn't.
What he liked best was the Titans offer because he loved his time there and has the respect of the players and camaraderie there. The amount of dings is not worth the NFL minimum for a RB. Coming in now, he probably isn't going to even get enough reps to beat out Henry or Lewis, so there isn't this prospect of achieving a goal of starting. He oh so strongly doesn't want to be "just a third down back" and this would hurt his pride after all he's accomplished. Again he loves the city and his family is moved there. He didn't want to move them again or be away from them for a large chunk of the year. Supposedly he met with the "mascot" and he pointed out to him that everything he wants in life is in Nashville except for football. He also supposedly talked to Sam Bradford and Karl Klug. The day he was going to announce, he spoke with both Vrabel and BB- both wanted him but both weren't offering what he wanted to hear. After one of those calls, he spoke to his wife (he said "and it was quick man") and then called his agent to let him know he's retiring.
Things change and players start itching to play when camp starts and when the regular season starts- he could be the guy some team signs in October to fill in for an injured player. He could be. It seems final though