Ravens reportedly sign Latavius Murray following Gus Edwards’ season-ending knee injury

The Ravens are bringing in some much-needed backfield help ahead of their regular season opener.

Baltimore has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with veteran running back Latavius Murray, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Ravens had been working to finalize the deal after Gus Edwards tore his ACL during Thursday’s practice, marking the third time one of the team’s running backs had suffered a season-ending injury in the past two weeks. J.K. Dobbins (torn ACL) and Justice Hill (torn Achilles) will also miss the entire 2021 campaign.

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Murray will join a backfield featuring Ty’Son Williams and Trenton Cannon on the main roster and Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman on the practice squad. Williams, a second-year running back out of BYU, is expected to be the starter against the Raiders on Monday night. He spent the 2020 season on the Ravens’ practice squad and has not yet registered a carry in a regular season game.

A veteran entering his eighth season in the NFL, Murray lands in Baltimore only days after being released by New Orleans. The Saints cut Murray on Tuesday after he reportedly refused to accept a reduction in pay. The 31-year-old racked up 656 rushing yards, 176 receiving yards and five total touchdowns last season for a Saints team that lost to the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in the divisional round.

While it’s difficult to forecast exactly how many snaps Murray will play in Week 1, he figures to be a significant part of the Ravens’ ground game in the short term as they attempt to adapt following a brutal run of injuries. He fits the Ravens’ style as a tough, between-the-tackles runner, and he should benefit from playing alongside an elite dual-threat quarterback in Lamar Jackson.