After months of speculation that started with Kyler Murray opting out of his major league baseball deal with the Oakland Athletics to head to the NFL, Murray has his team. At the time he opted out, after an unbelievable season at Oklahoma where he went 260 for 377 for 4,361 yards, 42 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions, as well as rushed for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns, it was thought that Murray could go in the first round, but no one knew how high. On the first night of the draft, we found out how high…first overall.
The Arizona Cardinals, with the hire of new coach Kliff Kingsbury and his scheme, one that incumbent Josh Rosen was not ideally suited for, drafted Murray with the first overall pick. Now, set with the unenviable task of trying to turn around a team whose offense was among the worst in the NFL, Murray has found his home and will hope that the magic he showed last year with the Sooners can carry over to the professional realm. If not, baseball might end up looking awfully good.
Cardinals Trade Rosen
With Murray now in the fold, it made Josh Rosen expendable, and before the second round of the draft, they found a taker for him. The Cardinals traded Rosen to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for their 62nd overall pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick. With the 62nd overall pick, the Cardinals selected wideout Andy Isabella.
While Rosen has shown glimpses of a decent ceiling, he may have more time to develop in Miami. The Dolphins signed Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier in the offseason, and it is possible that Fitzpatrick could start the season under center, giving Rosen more time to develop.
Interestingly, since the trade, Dolphins GM Chris Grier has said that just because they traded for Rosen, that does not preclude them from looking to acquire another quarterback, possibly as early as the 2020 draft. Really, though, it was a worthwhile gamble for the Dolphins, a team that is most certainly not going to be in contention this upcoming season.
If Rosen pans out, they will look like geniuses. If he does not pan out, all it cost them was a late second-round pick. While it is not ideal to give up early picks, especially for a team trying to rebuild, it is still a gamble worth taking for a position as vital as quarterback.
The Dolphins are hoping that the old saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” will pertain to Rosen. If not, they can give finding their franchise quarterback another crack next year.
Eagles Pick Up Option On Wentz
The Philadelphia Eagles have guaranteed their star quarterback at least one extra season in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles have picked up Carson Wentz’s fifth-year option, which means that he will earn close to $23 million in 2020. While Wentz has looked like a sure-fire stud when healthy, he has struggled to stay on the field over the course of the last two years.
Two years ago, it was Nick Foles who picked up the pieces and put together a Super Bowl title run after Wentz went down. Once again hampered by nagging injuries, Wentz had to miss time last year and, once again, Foles was there to take it over.
While they did not have the same Super Bowl magic last year, the larger problem for the Eagles is that Foles is no longer around, so a healthy Carson Wentz will be imperative to the Eagles’ chances this year. If he can stay healthy, they can be definite postseason contenders; if not, it might be a long winter in Philly.
Is Tyreek Hill’s Career Done?
Sadly, the NFL has been littered with these types of stories. Most recently, the stories of Ray Rice and Kareem Hunt come to mind when it comes to domestic abuse. As tragic as those stories are, this one is even a tougher pill to swallow, mostly because it involves a young kid.
Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs’ dynamic wide receiver, has had his criminal case reopened against him and his fiancé in regards to their son’s broken arm. If the Kareem Hunt issue, who was also a Kansas City Chief, is any indication, Hill’s time in K.C. may be coming to a close. He has already been banned from team activities, and it is expected that he may be released altogether.
While that hasn’t happened at the time of this writing, signs seem to indicate it moving that way. And between the allegations and the tape recordings, losing his job should be the least of Hill’s worries. Sadly, many will argue that he should be given a second chance, but if what has been reported is true, the kid should have a second chance at childhood while the dad sits in jail.
Janikowski Announces Retirement
After 19 glorious seasons, the big left-footed kicker is calling it a career. Sebastian Janikowski, who spent most of his time with the Raiders during his career before finishing it with the Seahawks, is calling it a wrap. At 41, Janikowski has made more than $53 million in his career and, during that time, went 436 for 542, good for an 80.4% field goal percentage, and 605 for 614 in extra points (98.5%). He has battled injuries for the last couple of seasons, but he goes out as one of the all-time greats at the position.
