The Eagles were desperate to unload DeMarco Murray and his overpriced contract, and the Titans needed an upgrade to their backfield.
But who saw this union coming just before the official start of free agency as the two sides reportedly agreed to a trade Monday night?
While we don't know what the Titans gave up to acquire Murray, who will apparently restructure his contract as part of the deal, it does change the landscape of two backfields for Fantasy owners heading into 2016. And it should be a benefit for Murray and Ryan Mathews, who could become the new starter in Philadelphia.
But before you get overly excited for Murray and Mathews with their new roles, let's evaluate their respective situations. And you should realize these are two running backs to settle for on Draft Day and not target.
We'll start with Murray, who was a failed experiment for Chip Kelly last season with the Eagles. He left Dallas and signed in Philadelphia on a five-year, $42 million deal, and he was a bust in Fantasy and reality.
Murray went from leading the NFL in rushing in 2014 with the Cowboys at 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns and 57 catches for 416 yards, to 702 rushing yards and six touchdowns and 44 catches for 322 yards and a touchdown with the Eagles in 2015. He averaged 4.69 yards per carry in his final year in Dallas, but then he averaged just 3.64 yards per carry in Philadelphia.
At 28, it's hard to expect Murray to improve dramatically going to his third team in three seasons, especially since Tennessee's best running back last year, Antonio Andrews, also averaged 3.64 yards per carry. The Titans have now gone two years in a row without a running back gaining more than 600 yards on the ground, which coincides when Chris Johnson left Tennessee.
Murray makes them instantly better, and he has the chance to get back to being a 1,000-yard rusher. But the Titans still need to improve their offensive line, which will likely come through the NFL Draft and the No. 1 overall pick (hello, Laremy Tunsil from Ole Miss). Marcus Mariota needs to make significant strides in his sophomore campaign, and the expectation of him running the ball more will help Murray. And the offensive talent with Delanie Walker and Dorial Green-Beckham needs to be more explosive to open up rushing lanes.
Murray should benefit with less competition for touches without Mathews and Darren Sproles around since Andrews, David Cobb and Dexter McCluster (maybe Bishop Sankey as well) won't take him off the field. But Murray has to play like the running back we saw in Dallas before the new contract and not the guy we got last season.
Sure, the offensive line was bad in Philadelphia last year, and Murray proved to be a bad fit in Kelly's system. But maybe Murray is just a good talent that was made exceptional by a great offensive line in Dallas in 2014. He won't have that kind of protection with the Titans, and game flow could hurt him most weeks if Tennessee is trailing and not able to lean on the run.
Murray's body could also be shot after nearly 500 total touches in 2014, including the playoffs. That's difficult for any running back to overcome, even in their prime.
We'll see how this plays out for the Titans and Murray this summer and what other additions are made on offense, but he should be considered a mid-level No. 2 Fantasy running back in the majority of leagues. He likely won't crack my top 15 at the position, and I wouldn't draft him before Round 5.
As for Mathews, he gets a boost in value if he enters training camp as the starter for the Eagles with no one of significance to compete with for touches, including Sproles, although that would be a surprise. Mathews was also an addition in Philadelphia last year with Murray, but he ran better with fewer touches at 5.04 yards per carry for 539 yards and six touchdowns and 20 catches for 146 yards and one touchdown.
You know the knock on Mathews by now, which is injuries, and he had groin surgery following last season. He missed 13 games over the past two years, and he's had trouble staying on the field and being a consistent producer in his career. He's played 16 games once in six seasons, which was 2013, and it was his best year with 1,255 rushing yards and six touchdowns and 26 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown with the Chargers.
New coach Doug Pederson is an Andy Reid disciple from Kansas City, and he will likely lean on the run, which would bode well for Mathews. But Philadelphia also has work to do on the offensive line and improving the talent on offense, and Mathews has to prove he can stay healthy.
Like Murray, he will also be considered a No. 2 running back, but he'll be a low-end starting option worth drafting in Round 6 in most formats. And the Eagles likely aren't done retooling their backfield, so Mathews isn't a lock to be the featured guy.
Still, it's fun to speculate in March about where Murray and Mathews should be taken in Fantasy drafts this summer. This transaction gives us new possibilities at running back, which is what we hope for at a thin position. Now it's up to Murray and Mathews to make the best of their new situations following this unlikely trade.
