Murray having trouble fitting in to Eagles offense

It's nearly impossible to say how scheme factored into DeMarco Murray's decision to sign with the Eagles in the offseason.

He said he had seen enough during four games over two years as an opponent.

"I got to see it firsthand on Sundays," the former Cowboys running back said Thursday. "I ran the same offense in college, and I knew exactly what I was getting into. I knew the scheme.

"I, obviously, haven't done it in four years. That was something that was eye-opening to me when I got here. Then I was, 'Whoa, whoa, what's going on?' But after a couple days of practice, by training camp, I felt that I knew the offense inside and out."

But Murray's familiarity with Chip Kelly's offense isn't what has come under question after a slow start with the Eagles. It's whether his skill set is suited for a run scheme that primarily uses zone-blocking and whether he has the ability to make a free defender miss when necessary.

Murray's production has been shockingly inferior considering his success last season. He has only 47 yards on 29 carries (1.6 avg.) in three games. Those numbers are skewed not only because of the limited number of opportunities, but also because the offensive line has been subpar.

Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles have had fewer chances, though, and are averaging 4 yards and 3.8 yards a carry, respectively. The Eagles' best game on the ground came against the New York Jets, when Murray was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Matthews rushed 24 times for 108 yards.

"There is not enough data," Kelly said, "for you to just say that 'this' is better than 'that' because one of them didn't play in the one game where we had success running the football."

But would Murray have had an equal or greater amount of success against the Jets? There were running lanes for Mathews, but he gained 90 yards after the initial contact. Murray picked up only 4 yards after contact on 21 carries through the first two games. He gained 43 yards after contact against the Redskins last week, but 26 came on one 30-yard rush.

The offseason party line from the Eagles was that Kelly wanted "one-cut, north-to-south" running backs like Murray and Mathews rather than a shifty one like LeSean McCoy, traded to the Bills. Kelly said that he also wanted more of a tailback-by-committee that would not burden the lead runner.

Murray and Mathews have similar dimensions - 6-foot, 217 pounds and 6-0, 220 pounds, respectively - but their body types are different. The former is more slender while the latter is more muscle-bound. Their running styles are dissimilar, as well. Murray runs upright, while Mathews has a lower center of gravity.

Kelly said that he sees more similarities than differences.

"I think they're both tough, hard-nosed, physical guys that are going to make one decision on their cut and stick their foot in the ground and go," Kelly said.

Murray and Mathews came from different NFL offenses, though. Mathews had run behind both power- and zone-based blocking schemes with the Chargers. The Cowboys zone-blocked, as well, but Murray received the majority of his carries from an under-center quarterback.

"It's very different, obviously," Murray said. "Run from the gun as opposed to 'home.' "

Home is when the running back lines up 5 to 7 yards directly behind the quarterback. Most of the Eagles' plays are run from the shotgun. McCoy and Mathews have said they prefer to run from home. Many backs do, because it gives them a running start before the handoff.

"They need to get [Murray] going downhill from a single-back position," said an NFL personnel director who has evaluated the Eagles this season and requested anonymity. "DeMarco's most effective when he can get his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage."

When the Eagles are in the shotgun, the running back is to the right or left of the quarterback. The handoff occurs when the back cuts across the quarterback, so he's already working from an angle when he gets the football.

Murray has never been considered the most explosive of running backs, even in college at Oklahoma. Again, his struggles this season are largely because of the offensive line, but when he hasn't been met in the backfield by a defender, he hasn't looked as quick to the hole or cutback lane as Mathews.

"That's the understatement of the year," the scout said. "It'll be interesting to see how many carries he now gets from the gun when he's to the quarterback's left or right."

The Eagles have already added more run plays with Sam Bradford under center, but there hasn't been enough of a sample to say whether it has helped. Murray's 30-yard tote came from the shotgun.

As for the distribution of snaps and touches, Murray has played 52.6 percent of plays when active, Sproles 32.8 percent in those three games, and Mathews 18.2 percent. Murray averaged 13.3 touches, Sproles seven, and Mathews four.

Murray said after last Sunday's game against the Redskins that he thought he wasn't getting enough touches - he averaged an NFL-high 29.1 last season. Does he need a large dose of carries to get "lathered" up, as he suggested last week?

From 2011 to 2013, Murray averaged 17.7 touches per game, but his rushing and receiving averages (4.9 per carry, 6.9 per catch) were relatively the same as they were in 2014 (4.7 and 7.3).

"I would love to get everybody in a right lather and going, but when we're not having success running the ball at all, then it's tough to say: 'Hey, we're just going to make sure we get him 22 carries and he's lathered up,' " Kelly said.

As with any running back who has hit 27 years of age - typically the high-water mark in terms of production - Murray's workload has to be monitored, especially after his exhaustive 2014. He has also missed more than his share of games, including one this season already.

The ultimate fear is that Murray is already on a downward curve, one exacerbated by the ineffectiveness of the offensive line and compounded by his discomfort in Kelly's run schemes. His comments after the Redskins game were mild and understandable, but what happens if the frustrations continue to grow?

The Eagles signed Murray to a five-year, $40 million contract with $18 million guaranteed. His salary is guaranteed through 2016, as is $2 million in 2017, so he's virtually assured a roster spot the next two years.

Kelly has bigger problems than trying to satisfy his franchise running back, but Murray isn't going away. Both the coach and the running back know what they've signed up for.

"I feel like we've all been doing the best that we can," Murray said. "Obviously, those guys get paid on the other side of the ball, as well."

Some get paid more than others.

jmclane@phillynews.com

@Jeff_McLane