Too many questions surround Kyler Murray for Miami Dolphins to move up
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are not in the position to draft Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and it would take a boatload of picks to get to number one. It’s not worth it.
Kyler Murray is a polarizing fixture that you either love or you don’t. His journey towards becoming an NFL quarterback has a lot of “if’s” and “but’s” attached to him this early in the process and that isn’t going to change in the course of a month and a half.
To be honest, Murray would be a question at 13 and if I was holding the Cardinals number one overall pick, I would trade it to the first sucker that came around. There is something about Murray that doesn’t sit well and it’s not his size.
When a player enters the NFL Draft there are always uncertainties and there are always uncovered off-field or locker room issues. If there is anything there, someone finds it. With Murray, there are far too many.
First Murray wasn’t sold on playing in the NFL and teetered between the NFL Draft and the Oakland A’s. He has since shunned the Athletics and declared himself 100% dedicated to football. Unless of course he changes his mind. He has that right to do so.
At the Senior Bowl Murray spoke on the Dan Patrick Show with the host, if you want to call it speaking. It was more or less a bunch of giggles and grunts and as uncomfortable as you could have seen. He declared for the draft a week later after refusing to answer questions by Patrick on the subject.
One executive talked about the lack of starting experience for Murray at OSU. One year as a starter. Others dismissed his size but then questions arose as to whether his measurements were accurate.
At the NFL Combine, Murray was supposed to throw but then changed his mind. Dolphins executive of something non-football related spoke to media at the combine and said that Murray refusing to participate let him to think less highly of him. He made it sound like he was doing it because of a lack of competitiveness.
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On Monday of this week it was reported by long-time NFL insider Charley Casserly that Murray rubbed at least two teams wrong in one on one interviews. He said it was expressed to him that he scored below in many categories including board work. That he was lazy with answers and his defensive recognition.
To be fair, those two teams could be feeding garbage. Especially at this time of year. Taken individually there is little to no merit but if taken as a whole there are too many checks in the wrong column. That is what is concerning. Where is Murray’s fight and competitive nature?
If I am looking for a franchise quarterback I want someone who I can put on in the front and know that he will handle the maturity side of being an NFL quarterback. I want a leader that can lead vocally and by example. I want a guy that comes with very little questions off the field if any at all and a quarterback with the experience to take the next step. If I don’t have those checks to go alongside the negatives, I have to pass and not risk my franchise for another four years.
Murray’s athleticism is not in question. He is probably the best athletic quarterback in this class, maybe 2020 as well but if his mind isn’t right is worth taking a risk? Probably not. If I am investing my franchise on a guy I want to say, “Wow this kid has it”. I don’t see that with Murray and because of that, I’m going to look elsewhere.