The Redskins might not be interested in Kyler Murray. The NFL might not be interested in Kyler Murray.
Either way, it sure seems like Major League Baseball and the Oakland A’s are interested in Kyler Murray.
For those that don’t know, Murray just won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Oklahoma and is one of the most electric quarterbacks college football has seen in the last decade. He’s also a first-round pick of the Athletics and was expected to join their farm system this spring. That could change, however, as reports show Murray might be more interested in the NFL Draft.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that MLB is considering allowing the Athletics to guarantee portions of Murray’s deal with Oakland, a fairly unprecedented move for baseball. Guaranteed money means a big-league deal in baseball, while draft picks usually operate with contracts that assume playing in the minor leagues.
“The notion of a player who has never taken an at-bat in the minor leagues winding up with a big league deal shows how special a situation Kyler Murray’s is. It’s not just the Oakland A’s invested in him. It’s Major League Baseball, too. Murray in MLB would be a coup,” Passan wrote on Twitter.
Todd Dybas covers the Washington Nationals for NBC Sports Washington and explained that Murray’s situation might mean more that just a normal draft pick for MLB.
“The one thing that struck me is we often talk in baseball about their inability to promote individual stars/names the way other leagues do. Allowing something like this sounds like a related idea, if not a direct result of that concern,” Dybas wrote in a message. “Baseball, as an at-large entity, wants [Murray’s] name recognition. [MLB Commissioner Bob] Manfred knows that, so they are tweaking the system.”
The situation bears watching for the Redskins.
The No. 1 quarterback prospect in 2019 will be Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. He was tremendous in 2018, and he also has NFL size.
As good as Murray was at Oklahoma, listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 lbs., he would be incredibly small for an NFL quarterback. Still, in a league without enough good passers and where rule changes are protecting quarterbacks at an ever increasing rate, now is the best time for a player like Murray to make it to the highest level.
The reason this could hold particular interest with Washington is that while Haskins will likely be gone by the 10th pick, Murray might be available in the middle of the first round. The Redskins hold the 15th pick.
Washington has plenty of holes.
A first-round edge rusher or a cornerback or a safety or a guard would help the team significantly in 2019. But considering the Alex Smith injury situation, and that Colt McCoy is only under contract for 2019, it the ‘Skins believe Murray can help for the long-term, the team must perform due diligence on his draft ability.
Only now, Washington and the rest of the NFL might be competing against Major League Baseball.
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