Kliff Kingsbury Praises Kyler Murray, Says He's 1 of Better Dual-Threat QBs Ever
March 26, 2019
Arizona Cardinals new head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a big fan of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray.
"I mean, I guess it's more what don't you like? When you watch him play, I mean he can run it, he can throw it, he's a competitor." Kingsbury said Tuesday when asked what he liked about Murray, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. "... He's one of the better dual-threat players to ever play."
That doesn't mean the Cardinals will absolutely select Murray No. 1 overall at this year's draft and trade Josh Rosen, last year's first-round pick. To this point, the Cardinals and Kingsbury have sent mixed messages about how they will handle the situation:
Kingsbury further elaborated on Rosen, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:
"People have said a lot of things that are misconceptions, if you will. But Josh is a tremendous player, I've always thought, watching him at UCLA. He played his best football in a spread system, some similarities to what we do. He's a tremendous thinker, very cerebral, can throw it with anybody, and we take a lot of pride in building a system around a quarterback. For someone to say he doesn't fit our system, it doesn't make sense."
But B/R's Matt Miller wrote in his latest mock draft that the buzz continues to suggest the Cardinals selecting the Oklahoma phenom.
Miller noted, "Everyone in the NFL was shouting it from the rooftops in Indianapolis: Murray is the Cardinals' guy. All that's left is for the team to officially put Josh Rosen on the trade block. Until NFL sources stop talking about Murray to the Cardinals, that's where he will end up in mock drafts."
Murray was incredible last season, winning the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,361 yards, 42 scores and seven interceptions while completing 69 percent of his passes. But he was equally dominant on the ground, rushing for 1,001 yards and 12 scores.
He would be a natural fit in Kingsbury's shotgun-based, Air Raid offensive attack. And he would make the Cardinals instant viewing giving his ability to carve apart defenses with his arm and legs. The Cardinals may not be willing to tip their hand regarding the top overall pick just yet, but Murray continues to make the most sense.