With the start of the NFL combine, the offseason is officially in full swing. As teams prepare for the 2019 NFL Draft, no franchise needs to “win” more than the Seahawks’ division rival, the Arizona Cardinals, who own the No. 1 overall selection.
The offseason rumor mill started almost immediately when Arizona hired Kliff Kingsbury as head coach. When he was still the coach at Texas Tech, Kingsbury infamously stated he would draft Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray No. 1 overall if he had the choice, which of course launched all sorts of speculation.
After a few quiet weeks, it appears the noise regarding Arizona drafting Murray only one year after picking quarterback Josh Rosen No. 10 overall has returned. This time, it’s due to comments made by Cardinals general manager Steve Keim at the combine. When asked about Rosen’s status as the starting quarterback, Keim didn’t exactly respond with a resounding commitment.
“Right now.”
When it comes to quarterbacks, teams are either undoubtedly convinced a player is their franchise signal-caller, or they are not. Phrases like “right now” are not used when discussing long term status as a starter.
As the draft inches closer, speculation regarding Murray to Arizona is only certain to grow. Since the Cardinals own the No. 1 pick in the draft and are under the regime of a new, offensive-minded coach in Kingsbury, they have a golden opportunity to draft Murray if they so desired.
Should they do so, this would mean the Seahawks could potentially face off against the reigning Heisman trophy winner twice a year.
