In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon Saints Head Coach Sean Payton announced that the team had waived running back Marcus Murphy. An earlier report emerged that he was out.
In the training camp of his rookie season, Murphy looked to potentially be a bargain basement version of Darren Sproles. In Week 3 of the 2015 season, he returned a punt for a touchdown against arch-rival Carolina Panthers.
But despite some minor flashes and similar stature to Sproles, Marcus Murphy never showed enough to keep him around in a backfield now packed with Mark Ingram, Adrian Peterson, and rookie Alvin Kamara.
Whatever role Murphy would have had is duplicated by Kamara and Travaris Cadet if he’s retained following training camp and preseason, and any chance he had as a kick or punt returner likely vanished with the offseason signing of WR Ted Ginn Jr.
With 2016’s 7th Round pick RB Daniel Lasco showing exceptional abilities on special teams, the writing has been on the wall for Marcus Murphy since last season.
The Saints will now have to decide whether to keep four or five running backs on the roster heading into the 2017 season, with Cadet and Lasco both potentially being on the bubble.