Kyler Murray's announcement on Monday that he's "firmly and fully" committed to pursuing his NFL career brought rapid, rampant speculation about where the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback will land in the upcoming draft.
The dot-connecting has already begun. Agent Erik Burkhardt announced he's signed Murray as a client. Burkhardt is also the agent of Arizona Cardinals new head coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Cardinals own the No. 1 overall pick.
A year after selecting quarterback Josh Rosen with the No. 10 pick in the 2018 draft, would Arizona go after Murray to pair with Kingsbury and attempt to trade Rosen?
Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill appeared to toss cold water on those rumors during an appearance on 98.7 Arizona Sports.
"Josh is a smart guy, he's been around and he's seen what happens year in and year out," Bidwill said, via the Cardinals' official team website. "There's always a lot of speculation that turns out to not be true. But moving forward, we're going to continue to build this team and build around the foundation that we have."
Bidwill joked that speculation about the Cardinals making a move for Murray is "good for the talk radio industry," but underscored that the team is focused on Kingsbury helping improve Rosen from a struggle-filled rookie campaign.
"Of all the coaches, he was the only one to say, 'Bring the tape, we're going to break down the tape,'" Bidwill said.
If the Cardinals stick with Rosen, the key will be buffering the young quarterback with game-changing teammates on both sides of the ball. Bidwill broke down what Arizona is looking for with the No. 1 overall pick.
"They've got to be an incredible athlete on the field," he said. "You want somebody, especially with the number one pick, that you can look at and say, 'This person is going to be here for 8-to-10 years and be an anchor at their position and be a real leader in our organization.'
"It's where the heart is and where the head is. Are they playing the game for money, or are they playing the game because they love the game? That's the kind of person you want with your first-round pick."
