For the past few months, it has seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Arizona Cardinals will select Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, but it may not be quite the lock that it once appeared. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco reported Sunday that the Cardinals’ ownership floated the idea of drafting Murray in an attempt to generate excitement among the fanbase, which in turn would help sell more tickets. But after not getting the desired reaction, Prisco says the Cardinals are no longer planning to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the top pick. “The ownership pushed for Kyler Murray. That much I know; I was told that,” Prisco said on CBS Sports HQ. “And the reason they did is they were having a hard time selling tickets. Well they put it out there and Arizona was lukewarm to it. So now all of a sudden, they’re pulling back, from what I’ve been told. “They’re going to go in a different direction. They’re not going to draft Kyler Murray.” Even if the Cardinals do decide to go in a different direction with the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay doesn’t believe the former OU star will fall very far on draft night. “Kyler Murray—you know Jon [Gruden], we know Jon very well,” McShay said this week. “[David] Carr might not be his guy. I think Kyler would be very intriguing there, and if he gets past four, you know there are a lot of other teams, 10, 11 with Denver, Cincinnati, 13 with Miami, 15 with Washington. “Potentially moving up, the Bucs would love it at number five to make a trade because at six I know they want to go defensive lineman. I know Dave Gettleman wants to build his roster. How do you not take Kyler Murray at six if he lasts there? To me, if he doesn’t go four, in my opinion Kyler goes six to the New York Giants.” Murray, who is looking to become the first athlete in history to be picked in the first round of both the MLB and NFL Drafts, is coming off one of the most prolific seasons in college football history, which culminated in him becoming Oklahoma’s seventh Heisman winner. In 14 games, he completed 260 of 377 passes (69.0 pct.) for 4,361 yards with 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while rushing for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns on 140 carries, setting the FBS record for yards per pass attempt (11.6) while ranking second all-time in passing efficiency (199.2 rating). He guided Oklahoma to its fourth consecutive Big 12 title and second straight trip to the College Football Playoff. Murray accounted for a school-record 5,362 yards of total offense, plus 54 touchdowns. That school record is better than Baker Mayfield’s last year with one fewer game. Until he did so this year, no player in FBS history had ever averaged at least 300 passing yards and 60 rushing yards per game for an entire season. Murray finished with 311.5 and 71.5, respectively. After playing his final game on Dec. 29, Murray had two weeks to decide whether to enter the NFL Draft before the Jan. 14 underclassman deadline. On Jan. 13, he met with an A’s contingent in Dallas that included vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst, who made a last-minute attempt to convince him to pursue his baseball career instead. He announced the following day that he was declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. A former five-star recruit out of Allen High School in Allen, Texas, Murray was ranked as the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 34 overall prospect in the class of 2015, according to the 247Sports Composite.<doc-sep>Michael Hickey/Getty Images The Arizona Cardinals may be moving on from Oklahoma Sooners star Kyler Murray as an option for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco reported Cardinals ownership wanted to float the idea of selecting Murray as a way to excite the fanbase and sell tickets. However, Arizona is now "pulling back" on its interest in the Heisman Trophy winner: This could merely be the subterfuge that's typical around the draft. The Cardinals may want to sow some doubt about their intentions in the hope a team comes forward and pays a steep price to trade up to No. 1 and get Murray. Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, for instance, threw out the Oakland Raiders as one franchise that could shake up draft day: "The Raiders have the fourth, 24th and 27th picks in the first round. They have a draft arsenal, and this allows them a great deal of flexibility. Few in the NFL would be surprised if they made a big move up for Ohio State's Nick Bosa or even Murray." Josh Rosen will be a consideration for Arizona as well. Should the team fail to move the second-year quarterback, it could create a difficult dynamic in the locker room. The trade market for Rosen doesn't appear to be materializing too much. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported the Washington Redskins are "not actively chasing" him, while James Palmer of NFL Network reported the Denver Broncos are "not interested in Josh Rosen if he's made available." Video Play Button Videos you might like Many on social media noticed the Cardinals not featuring Rosen in one of their promotional videos for the 2019 season. If the front office and coaching staff are high enough on him, one could argue Arizona should select Murray—regardless of Rosen's status—and figure out the rest later. The Kansas City Chiefs added Patrick Mahomes with Alex Smith still on the team, and that worked out pretty well. With a dearth of good starting quarterbacks available, surely a team would trade for Rosen sooner or later. Fans won't have to wait much longer to see what the Cardinals ultimately decide, with the first round of the draft starting Thursday.<doc-sep>Since his commitment to the NFL Draft, Kyler Murray has been the presumptive No. 1 pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Most have accepted this as a big possibility, even with what a unique situation it presents. The Cardinals just spent a top pick on Josh Rosen last season. Rosen didn’t light the world on fire as a rookie, like former Murray teammate and fellow Oklahoma Heisman winner Baker Mayfield did with the Cleveland Browns. Still, he’s a talented player who could be cast off after just one season. Not everyone is confident that Murray to Arizona is a lock though. CBS Sports NFL insider Pete Prisco reports that his sources have told him the Arizona Cardinals will go in a different direction, and won’t take Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick. Prisco is really going out on a limb, and said it pretty confidently in a recent video for CBS Sports. From the clip: “Initially, the ownership pushed for Kyler Murray. That much I know, I was told that. The reason they did it, they were having a hard time selling tickets. They put it out there, Arizona was lukewarm to it, so now all of a sudden, they’re pulling back, from what I’ve been told, they’re going to go in a different direction. They’re not going to draft Kyler Murray.” He sticks with this prediction with his newest mock draft as well. He has the Cardinals bolstering a solid defensive line with another hot prospect, Alabama’s Quinnen Williams. “Rather than take a quarterback, I have them taking the best down player in the draft.” There are a few other teams in the Top 10 that could take the Heisman winner, but Prisco doesn’t have Murray getting past the Raiders at No. 4. “Jon Gruden couldn’t help himself in this scenario even though defense is the major need. This wouldn’t be a good sign for Derek Carr.” It is a bold prediction, but just last year, Baker Mayfield was a last minute surprise at No. 1 to the Browns. The opposite could happen to this year’s Sooners QB, but of course, Murray might not mind getting teamed up with Antonio Brown in the Bay Area. [CBS Sports]<doc-sep>
NFL draft rumors: Cardinals will not take Kyler Murray with No. 1 pick originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com Ever since the Arizona Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach, rumors began to swirl about them drafting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. As the draft has drawn closer, the speculation that Arizona will draft Murray and trade Josh Rosen has turned into an assumed likelihood. But with the draft just five days away, it now appears the Cardinals might look to go in a different direction at No. 1, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Pete Prisco. "Initially, the ownership pushed for Kyler Murray," Prisco recently said on CBS Sports HQ. "That much I know -- I was told that. "The reason they did is they are having a hard time selling tickets. Well, they put it out there. Arizona was lukewarm to it. All of a sudden, they are pulling back, and from what I've been told, they are going to go in a different direction. They are not going to draft Kyler Murray." How's that for a pre-draft bombshell? So, let's unpack this a bit. First of all, it's entirely possible the Cardinals are putting this out there because they want to see what offers they can get to move out of the No. 1 spot, should a team really want Murray or perhaps Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa. And if they don't receive an offer that blows them away, they'll stay in that slot and draft Murray anyways. Rosen also complicates things for the Cardinals. Drafted with the No. 10 overall pick last year, Rosen struggled in his rookie campaign through little fault of his own. Saddled with mediocre offensive weapons and a porous offensive line, the UCLA product was rudely welcomed to the NFL. If the Cardinals were to draft Murray, they would need to find a taker for Rosen, and they're reportedly looking for a team willing to pay a steep price for him in order to save face. It appears Arizona is having trouble finding such a suitor. Story continues If the Cardinals do pass on Murray for Bosa, the 49ers will be put in a little bit of a bind. For weeks, it's been looking like the 49ers will take Bosa, the draft's top prospect, when he falls into their lap, and Arizona passing on Murray could throw a huge wrench into their draft plans. If Bosa is unavailable at No. 2, San Francisco could look to move back in the draft, collect assets and still take an edge rusher with high upside in the middle part of the first round. Meanwhile, the Raiders sit at No. 4, and it appears only Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock and a few trusted advisors know the Silver and Black's plan. Rumors leaked earlier this week that the Raiders could be planning a "big move" to trade up and take Murray or Bosa, but if the Cardinals don't draft Murray, the electric quarterback could fall right into Oakland's hands at No. 4. Of course, if Quinnen Williams also is on the board, the Raiders' brass will have a difficult choice to make. [RELATED: Should Raiders try to move up and draft Kyler Murray?] In five days time, we'll know if Kingsbury's Air Raid offense will be manned by Rosen or the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner. What the Cardinals choose to do will have wide-spread consequences on the entire first round of the draft. Buckle up.