The idea of the Arizona Cardinals taking any player other than Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft has seemed farfetched for the majority of the offseason, but there are at least some people who believe it is becoming closer to a reality.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah tweeted on Monday that he was 90 percent confident two weeks ago that the Cardinals would draft Murray. That confidence has dramatically decreased since.
Why the change? Jeremiah says he doesn’t understand why Murray would be visiting with so many teams if he already has a handshake agreement — or close to it — in place with the Cardinals.
Murray took official visits last week with the New York Giants, who have the No. 6 overall pick, and Washington Redskins, who are scheduled to pick at No. 15. Washington would almost certainly have to trade up to draft Murray, but the fact that the Heisman Trophy winner took a visit with them indicates he feels there is at least a chance he won’t wind up in Arizona.
It’s possible Murray is just keeping all of his options open, and the Cardinals could be hesitant to give him a commitment because they want to protect the trade value of Josh Rosen, who is said to be drawing interest from multiple teams.
The Arizona Cardinals are likely going to trade Josh Rosen at some point if they decide to draft Kyler Murray, but they are not necessarily in a rush to make that move.
While many have assumed the Cardinals would prefer to trade Rosen before their offseason conditioning program begins next week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they do not consider that any type of deadline. In fact, they may keep Rosen through the draft even if they do take Murray.
Rapoport added that the Cardinals are intent on not giving Rosen away for pennies on the dollar, and they actually think he is better than the other quarterbacks in this year’s draft outside of Murray. He says it would take a “very, very good offer” for them to trade Rosen.
While having both Murray and Rosen on the roster would be no issue financially, Rosen almost certainly would want out if the Cardinals draft the reining Heisman Trophy winner. It would make sense for them to make a trade before the draft so they can acquire a pick in 2019, and it sounds like Arizona has already gotten at least one respectable offer for Rosen. If Kliff Kingsbury wants Murray to be his starter in 2019, trading Rosen prior to the draft would be the quickest way to improve the team.
Kyler Murray is viewed by many as the favorite to be the top overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and the team that holds that pick is making an effort to get to know him better.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim visited the Oklahoma campus on Tuesday to meet with Murray.
The Cardinals created some confusion earlier this month when they chose not to send representatives to Murray’s Pro Day, but that may have been a smokescreen. It would be a surprise if they’re not interested in the former Sooners star given the way Kingsbury gushed about him in the past.
Murray’s stock has been steadily rising since he chose to pursue a career in football over reporting to the Oakland A’s, and there are people who are convinced the Cardinals have already decided to take him at No. 1. It won’t be long before we know if that truly is their plan.
Kyler Murray is holding his Pro Day at Oklahoma on Wednesday, and you might be very surprised to hear one of the teams that is not planning to be in attendance to get a closer look at the Heisman Trophy winner.
According to Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL Network, the Arizona Cardinals’ brass — including head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim — will not be at Murray’s Pro Day.
Palmer noted that the Cardinals will likely hold a private workout with Murray at some point before the draft, but it’s still at least somewhat surprising that the team that has the strongest link to Murray is staying away on Wednesday.
While it’s possible the Cardinals actually don’t intend to draft Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, they could also be trying to hide their interest as best as they can. There are a lot of people who are convinced the Cardinals will take Murray, so maybe they just don’t need to see any more from the former Oklahoma star.
The Arizona Cardinals have made their own impact addition early in free agency.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Cardinals are set to land former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Terrell Suggs.
Suggs, now 36, went to school at Arizona State. The chance to return near his old college stomping grounds could have influenced his decision.
Suggs entered the NFL in 2003 and has never played for any team other than the Ravens, so seeing him in Arizona will be quite strange, if not totally unexpected. Even now, he remains an effective player, having collected seven sacks in 2018 and 11 in 2017. He’ll be a key veteran on a rebuilding Arizona team.
The offseason is important for every NFL team. Even those with the biggest issues can rapidly and significantly improve if they hit the right draft picks and nail a few trades or free agent signings. However, it is a simple truth that, for some teams, the stakes of the offseason are higher than they are for others. Expectations are high, jobs are on the line, and the future is bright for some teams, but only if they maneuver through the offseason properly.
As we enter the beginning of NFL free agency, here are ten teams who really need to get the offseason right in order to avoid trouble up ahead.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars aren’t armed with much cap space and they’re also very much in need of a quarterback, which is a rough spot to be in at this point. Jacksonville had high hopes for a 2018 season that ultimately crashed and burned, and now they have to pick up the pieces. It looks increasingly likely that they’ll be heavily involved in the pursuit of the top quarterback on the market, which is a somewhat risky play. If he doesn’t prove to be the solution, they could be facing a few years in the wilderness that they’d really like to avoid.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking to trade veteran offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert, and they found a home for him on Friday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers have traded Gilbert to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round draft pick.
Gilbert, 31, has appeared in just 12 games over the past two seasons because of injuries. He was eventually placed on injured reserve last year after suffering a knee injury early in the season. Gilbert was also suspended in 2017 for violating the NFL’s drug policy. He’s entering the final year of a five-year, $30 million contract.
The big question, of course, is which quarterback Gilbert will be protecting in Arizona next season.
If the Arizona Cardinals say they have no idea which player they are going to select with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, one prominent NFL reporter says we should not believe them.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports said Thursday that he is “thoroughly convinced” the Cardinals will select Murray with the No. 1 pick. He even called Arizona’s infatuation with Murray “the worst kept secret in the history of the world.”
Kliff Kingsbury had no idea he would be in this position when he gushed about Murray while he was still coaching at Texas Tech last year. But because of that, many people believe he wants Murray to be his quarterback in Arizona.
Of course, there was a lot of negative feedback on Murray from the NFL Scouting Combine last week. Some talent evaluators apparently felt the Heisman Trophy winner performed horribly in interviews, but it doesn’t sound like that was the case when he sat down with the Cardinals. That may be all that matters.
If the Arizona Cardinals decide to trade Josh Rosen and go with Kyler Murray or some other quarterback in 2019, they understandably want good value in return.
While the Cardinals have not indicated publicly that they are entertaining the idea of trading Rosen, Tim Montemayor of 1580 The Fanatic reports that they have had discussions about Rosen with at least two teams, and they are seeking a second-round pick in return.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that the Cardinals received inquiries about Rosen from many teams at the Scouting Combine but did not express a willingness to deal him. That could have more to do with not wanting to seem desperate. If teams know Arizona is planning to draft Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, they’re more likely to low-ball them with offers for Rosen.
Based on some of the rumblings we have heard about Rosen’s trade value, it sounds like the Cardinals may be aiming a bit high.
The Arizona Cardinals reportedly came away very impressed after interviewing draft prospect Kyler Murray.
The Cardinals have been among the teams generating news this week with reports they could be willing to part ways with last year’s first-round pick Josh Rosen. Rosen would become expendable if Arizona chooses to go with Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
The Cardinals recently interviewed Murray, who aced his test, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Reviews on Murray coming out of the NFL Combine haven’t been overwhelmingly positive. One analyst said the feedback on Murray was as bad as he’s ever heard.
Since Arizona holds the top pick in the draft, their opinion of Murray matters the most; if they are impressed with him, they can draft him and it won’t matter what other teams think.
