One offseason move each NFL team must make
Oakland Raiders-Draft Kyler Murray
Thanks to the trades that sent Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper away, the Raiders have three first-round picks this year (No. 4, No. 24 and No. 27). That puts them in position to take a top player with their own pick, then package the picks from the Bears and Cowboys to move up if they want to.
Gruden struggled to hide his enthusiasm for players during his time in the broadcast booth. He has been more measured since coming back as Raiders’ head coach a year ago, but based on his comments from the Senior Bowl it’s clear he likes Murray.
Gruden: now that I’ve seen what Drew Brees has done and what Russell Wilson has done and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, I’ve put all the old prototypes at QB away. #SeniorBowl
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) January 22, 2019
Murray obviously doesn’t fit the old-school prototype of what a quarterback should be size-wise, and it’s fair to say he’ll need some time to get acclimated to the NFL (assuming he goes all-in on football). But Gruden and the Raiders have the luxury of Derek Carr, who should remain in place next season. But the dead money that would come with cutting Carr drops each year, starting this offseason.
When the Raiders play their first games in Las Vegas in 2020, it feels like Carr won’t be the quarterback. The 2020 draft class has some high-end quarterback prospects, but assuming he fully commits to football Murray is regarded in much the same way right now and he’d have a full year of learning Gruden’s offense in his back pocket when the team lands in Vegas.