Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Murray picks NFL over MLB
Heisman winner linked to Dolphins in mock drafts
Kyler Murray, one of the most talented quarterbacks available in the upcoming NFL draft, has decided his future.
Now, NFL teams — including the rebuilding Miami Dolphins — must decide if Murray could be the right player to propel their franchise.
Murray, the Oklahoma quarterback who signed a minor-league contract with Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics last year, has decided to turn his career focus to football.
“Moving forward, I am firmly and fully committing my life and time to becoming an NFL quarterback,” Murray said in a statement on his Twitter account on Monday.
“Football has been my love and my passion my entire life. I was raised to play QB, and I very much look forward to dedicating 100 percent of myself to being the best QB possible and winning NFL championships.
“I have started an extensive training program to further prepare myself for upcoming NFL workouts and interviews. I eagerly await the opportunity to continue to prove to NFL decisionmakers that I am the franchise QB in this draft.”
Murray, the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner, is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, which begins on April 25 in Nashville. He could become the first player drafted in the first round of the NFL and MLB drafts.
The Dolphins, who own the No. 13 pick in first round of this year’s draft, have been linked to Murray in several mock drafts in recent weeks.
The Dolphins, who seem intent on moving on from quarterback Ryan Tannehill after seven seasons, will likely be in the hunt for a new franchise quarterback.
Murray could fit that need for Miami. He threw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and ran for another 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. His season ended in the Orange Bowl against Alabama in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 29.
Murray, a highly-touted outfielder, was selected with the No. 9 pick by the Athletics in the 2018 MLB draft and signed a minorleague deal worth $4.66 million. He will return $1.29 million of the $1.5 million signing bonus he received last year, and will forfeit the remaining $3.16 million due to him March 1, according to ESPN.
Murray plans to attend the NFL scouting combine, held from Feb. 26 to March 4 in Indianapolis.
Murray, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Duke’s Daniel Jones, Missouri’s Drew Lock, West Virginia’s Will Grier, Auburn’s Jarred Stidham, NC State’s Ryan Finley and Washington State’s Cardner Minshew are considered the top quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL draft.
The Dolphins also have intentions to supplement their offensive and defensive lines in the draft, and could decide to pass on drafting a quarterback this April.
If Miami does so, it could turn its focus toward the immensely talented 2020 quarterback class, which will likely feature Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Georgia’s Jake Fromm.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and new coach Brian Flores will be tasked with those decisions while leading the franchise through its rebuilding process for the foreseeable future.