EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- In four short weeks, Dalvin Cook played the biggest role in the Minnesota Vikings' offensive renaissance. A rushing attack that finished dead last in 2016 showed considerable signs of retooling as the offense morphed into a more-balanced, aggressive attack.

Mike Zimmer called the fast, shifty running back’s big-play ability "unbelievable." Cook was by far the most versatile threat Minnesota had. He could make plays out of nothing and rush efficiently with a heavy workload that included blitz protections and catching passes out of the backfield.

As the Vikings prepare to handle the rest of the season without their rookie star, who tore his ACL on Sunday, it’s back to the drawing board. The offense doesn’t want to lose its firepower but has to re-evaluate how it can continue its approach with the other running backs in its stable.

Latavius Murray finally gets a shot at doing what he signed up for when he inked a three-year, $15 million deal with the Vikings in March. Murray was thought to be the guy who would replace Adrian Peterson, but ankle surgery in the offseason set him back and allowed Cook to win the starting job.

Murray was one of the best pass-blocking running backs in 2016, receiving a grade of 83.5 from Pro Football Focus. With the strength of the Raiders' offensive line, Murray didn’t have to handle too many missed assignments, but he showed that he can reduce hits on the quarterback by picking up the extra defenders opponents send in.

He has a reputation as a big, physical banger who provides power in the run game and the versatility to rush from under center and out of the shotgun. He doesn’t possess Cook's vision and patience as a rusher, nor the ability to gain as many yards after contact. Murray, however, has good acceleration and can get out and beat defenders to the edge.

The difference between Murray’s 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Raiders was that he became more efficient as a role player than as a bell cow.

In 2015, Murray started all 16 games and rushed 266 times. That season, he topped 1,066 rushing yards and six touchdowns, for an average of 4.0 yards per carry. He didn’t have much support in the backfield, which forced quarterback Derek Carr to put some of that responsibility on himself. The second-most productive rusher was Jamize Olawale, the Raiders fullback who had a mere 24 carries for 110 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Murray made the Pro Bowl that season as an alternate but earned his spot on the AFC roster when Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart played in the Super Bowl.

A year later, Murray saw a dip in his workload but became a more effective rusher. During the 2016 season, he essentially split time with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. The two then-rookies combined for 958 yards and three touchdowns while Murray, in 12 games as a starter, rushed 195 times for 788 yards, which is still the pedestrian 4.0 yards per rush he totaled the year before.

But his production was different. Of course, a ton of credit goes to the blocking provided by the Raiders' offensive line, but Murray was better when brought in to do damage in certain situations. He was Oakland's No. 1 goal-line threat, scoring 10 of his 12 touchdowns last season inside the 5-yard line.

Murray should handle the bulk of the load in the run game, but he probably won’t be the featured back Cook was in the first four weeks. Minnesota will likely use Murray in certain scenarios and rely on Jerick McKinnon on passing downs. Murray had 41 receptions for 232 yards last season, but McKinnon is the better receiver among the two.

Murray said Monday that his ankle is not back to 100 percent following his surgery, but he feels like he can play at a high level and shoulder a bigger workload in place of Cook. Will that be 20-25 carries each game? Maybe. Regardless of what the Vikings find is the best number for him each game, Murray will lead the team in carries going forward.

So far this season, he hasn’t seen much action, and when he has, Murray has left feeling underwhelmed. After Cook got injured against the Lions, Murray replaced him to the tune of seven carries for 21 yards. He got as close as the 3-yard line late in the fourth quarter but wasn’t able to punch the ball in.

“For me, personally, I felt that when I was in there I could’ve done better,” Murray said. “I think I need to stay with that mindset and continue to improve when I’m on the field every single day in practice and just take it to Monday now and the rest of the year.”

It could take several games for Murray to get comfortable with his new role. The fact that he feels well enough to work through a significant load increase is a good sign. With his jack-of-all-trades skill set, the Vikings hope to not have to change too much of their style as they move on from Cook.