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Challenges fuel Murray

It seems a sure bet that DeMarco Murray, if healthy, will thrive in the Eagles offense. How could a 27-year-old running back who rushed for a league-high 1,845 yards with a north-to-south running style ostensibly suited to Chip Kelly's schemes be anything but successful?

Eagles running back DeMarco Murray. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)
Eagles running back DeMarco Murray. (Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)Read more(Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)

It seems a sure bet that DeMarco Murray, if healthy, will thrive in the Eagles offense. How could a 27-year-old running back who rushed for a league-high 1,845 yards with a north-to-south running style ostensibly suited to Chip Kelly's schemes be anything but successful?

There is, of course, the if healthy qualifier that is compounded by Murray's complex injury history and a workload last season that could be labeled as excessive. And there is his inexperience with the zone read plays that are the centerpiece of the Eagles' offense.

Both are ample reasons for prudence.

But underneath both confidence and caution are Murray's work ethic and attention to detail. His production isn't just the byproduct of natural talent or the Cowboys' impressive offensive line. If anything, his star-kissed 2014 was an anomaly.

Murray's off-the-field intangibles were just as instrumental during an injury-riddled first three seasons in the NFL. Eagles coaches, after just months with the new running back, have marveled at his preparation and believe it will trump potential health and schematic obstacles.

"His passion for the game, his leadership in the classroom, in the weight room, on the field, is second to none," Eagles running back coach Duce Staley said. "And he's driven by that. He's driven by going out there and not making mistakes. He's driven by showing others how he works."

Murray would rather show than tell, especially when it comes to those on the outside. Fiercely protective of his privacy, Murray can seem shy and uncomfortable discussing his exploits. But if there is a common theme in the few profiles done over his career, it is that he likes a challenge.

In high school, he beat out future Broncos safety Quinton Carter at running back. In college, he followed Adrian Peterson and set Oklahoma marks for all-purpose yards and touchdowns. In the NFL, he set the Cowboys' mark for rushing yards in a season and then had to hear the man he passed and the man that is set to replace him belittle that accomplishment.

And now Murray must step into the shoes of LeSean McCoy and into a new offense. He had words of caution for those who suggest his transition will be seamless.

"I wouldn't say that I'm 100 percent comfortable," Murray said last month toward the end of spring workouts. "I've only been here for a few months. This is a great offense. I think we're doing some amazing things. But every day I'm trying to pick one thing to get better at and make sure I don't make mistakes."

Ask for that day's area of focus, Murray steered the conversation elsewhere. While the details may be elusive, the point may be that he won't miss one for lack of trying.

"At the end of every meeting, DeMarco gets all the running backs together, and they share notes and go over their notebooks together," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. "It's really intense, to be honest with you, in terms of how they approach it."

When the Eagles traded McCoy to the Bills and had a deal in place with veteran Frank Gore, it appeared as if Kelly had planned to sacrifice talent in the name of clearing salary-cap space at another skill position.

But when Gore backed out and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin signed with the Chiefs, Kelly signed both Murray (five years, $40 million) and former Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (three years, $11 million), suggesting a renewed focus in the ground game.

"Definitely. We want to get back to the running the ball," Staley said.

Injuries on the offensive line probably had as much to do with last season's imbalance (a 42-58 run-pass ratio) vs. 2013 (47-53), but McCoy had almost as many carries (314 vs. 316) even with Darren Sproles' production (5.8 yards per rush).

In April, McCoy predicted a system in which Kelly would spread the touches around.

"Chip doesn't value the running backs in a certain way," McCoy said then. "DeMarco's going to do all the running. Sproles is going to do all the routes. Mathews is just in case of emergency because Murray gets hurt a lot. That's how it's going to go."

While it is unlikely he will get anywhere near the amount of touches he had in 2014 (497 including the playoffs), Murray didn't sound ready to forfeit playing time.

"I love being on the field, love playing every game," Murray said. "Ryan's a good player and I knew when I was down here that he was definitely signing. It didn't scare me. I'm not afraid of competition, not afraid to share the backfield with him."

Mathews, who has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his credit, has also had injury problems. He missed 20 games over his first five seasons, while Murray missed 11 games over four years. Kelly seems intent on decreasing the chances for injury or wearing down. It should be noted that McCoy didn't miss a game the last two seasons.

"I think we probably relied on one too much in the last couple of years," Kelly said. "But I have great confidence in those other guys that when they go into the game you don't have to change what you're doing. Ryan and DeMarco are very similar in terms of how they run."

Staley called the running back group "one big pot of gumbo." He is responsible for doling out snaps and keeping all three happy. He knows about sharing the load, having been a part of the Eagles' three-headed monster in the early 2000s that also included Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter.

But Murray should be the linchpin. There was talk after the Eagles snatched him away from Dallas that he didn't maximize the blocking efforts of his line. Cowboys running back Joseph Randle said Murray left meat on the bone. Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, said Murray could have rushed for 2,500 yards.

The Eagles believe the opposite, and that Murray's vision and one-cut running style will take advantage of the space from their zone blocking schemes.

"He's a prototype for us," Staley said. "Exactly what we want to do. Full steam, downhill."

Murray, in his low-key kind of way, disagreed with Randle's statement and called him a "good kid." Quietly, he remains up to yet another challenge.

"I've always been that type of guy," Murray said. "I pride myself on going north to south."

Roster move. The Eagles wavied running back Matthew Tucker because of a non-football injury (torn quad muscle).

@Jeff_McLane