the season.Murrays yards per carry dropped from 4.8 yard

NAPA, Calif. -- Latavius Murray is counting on more help at running back leading to more big runs of his own this season for the Oakland Raiders.After topping 1,000 yards rushing and going to the Pro Bowl as an alternate while carrying almost the entire running load for the Oakland Raiders last season, Murray believes he can have an even more productive bigger year this season because the Raiders added rookie DeAndre Washington and other potential runners to the mix.Thats going to be the difference this year for me, having somebody to come in and carry the load for a little while and keep me fresh so when I come in I can do better things and have more of those explosive and big runs that I showed I can have, Murray said.Murray got little relief last season when he ranked fourth in the NFL among all backs with 680 offensive snaps. Recently released Roy Helu Jr. was second among Raiders halfbacks with 91 offensive snaps as Oakland was the only team in the NFL that did not have at least two halfbacks play 100 or more snaps.That heavy workload for a player for a player with just 82 carries his first two years in the NFL contributed to Murray having decreased production and late in the season.Murrays yards per carry dropped from 4.8 yards the first eight games to 3.3 over the second half of the season. It also appeared to take a toll in games as Murray averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in the fourth quarter, down more than 2 yards a carry from the first three quarters.I think over the course of the season that it just may catch up to you, he said. There are just going to be those days where obviously Im maybe not as fresh or explosive every single Sunday. Theyve done a great job of getting some other guys in there and showing me this training camp thats the plan for this season and to try to keep me fresh and keep me in a healthy state of mind so I can go out there and be the back I know I can be.Murray finished the season with 266 carries for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. Oaklands second-leading rusher in 2015 was quarterback Derek Carr with 138 and fullback Jamize Olawale was the only other player to reach even 100 yards rushing for the season with 110.That glaring need for a capable backup runner led the Raiders to draft DeAndre Washington in the fifth round after he rushed for 1,492 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Texas Tech.Washington has made a good first impression on the Raiders with strong play in camp and a productive exhibition debut. Washington gained 75 yards from scrimmage, juking safety Marqui Christian on a 25-yard run and adding a 32-yard reception to convert a third down.Thats why they brought me in, to create mismatches against opposing defenses, Washington said. On that play, they were guarding me with a d-end so I had to make my money on that play definitely.Washington wasnt the only back who has stood out this summer. George Atkinson had five carries for 97 yards and two scores against the Cardinals and undrafted free agent Jalen Richard has been impressive in practice but sat out the exhibition game with an injury.But with coach Jack Del Rio wanting the Raiders to be a dominant running team after struggling in that area last season, there figure to be plenty of carries to go around for Murray and whoever becomes his backup.I want to have more rushes, Del Rio said. I dont want him to have less. If anything, maybe a little more, but I want him to be more productive. We want other guys to be involved and be able to run it as well. Were working on becoming a team thats capable of running the ball well. We never really, truly established that last year.Game notes The Raiders broke camp Tuesday. They will resume practice at their facility in Alameda after playing an exhibition game at Green Bay on Thursday night. ... Oakland signed free agent TE Jake McGee to replace Gabe Holmes, who could be out for the season with an ankle injury.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Nike SB Ireland Sale .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Nike SB Ireland Online . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. http://www.discountnikesbireland.com/ . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Cheap Nike SB Ireland . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cheap Shoes Ireland .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Regional soccer officials said Tuesday that they are investigating claims by Salvadoran national team players that they were offered money to help Honduras advance in World Cup qualifying play.Honduras leads Canada in the CONCACAF competition to determine which teams in the region advance to the 2018 World Cup. It would lose its current second place in Group A only if Canada won by a wide margin in a game Tuesday night with El Salvador, which has already been eliminated from qualifying.Salvadoran players said in Vancouver, British Columbia, that a Salvadoran businessman offered them money to help Honduras by winning, tying or losing by a close margin against Canada.The regional soccer body CONCACAF said in a statement that it is aware of the claims made by El Salvadors national team in relation to their upcoming qualifying match for the 20118 FIFA World Cup and is looking into the matter.ddddddddddddCONCACAF did not release any details, saying: No further information can be given at this moment in order not to jeopardize any possible investigations.Mexico, which already qualified, was playing Honduras on Tuesday night. But a lopsided Honduras loss to Mexico combined with a lopsided Canadian victory could knock Honduras out of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Ricardo Padilla, the businessman named by the Salvadoran players, told local media in El Salvador that he had indeed offered the players money and said he had done so before.Hugo Carrillo, an official at the Salvadoran Soccer Federation, said that we are going to cooperate 100 percent to clear this situation up. ' ' '