Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Flores is high on QB Murray
Heisman winner ‘a great athlete’ who might be on draft radar
INDIANAPOLIS — New Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores likes what he has seen on the field from Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray.
If Murray is the player who could possibly transcend the Dolphins franchise in Flores’ first job as an NFL head coach, Murray will first have to pass general manager Chris Grier’s interview process this week at the NFL combine.
Murray will also need to be available when the Dolphins select the No. 13 overall pick during the NFL draft. Unless the Dolphins choose to move up for an earlier pick, of course.
“I think he had a phenomenal year,” Flores said complementing Murray as the combine began at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday.
“I think he’s a great athlete. I think he’s a very good player.”
While Flores’ comment was not a ringing endorsement, the Dolphins will surely conduct a thorough assessment on Murray, who is considered one of the best available quarterbacks in the draft, which will be held from April 25-27 in Nashville, Tenn.
Murray won the Heisman Trophy, as his electric play accounted for 4,361 yards with 42 touchdowns while running for another 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff where they loss in the semifinal to Alabama at the Orange Bowl.
Murray or Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins will likely be the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft, which also features players like 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 Gardner Minshew.
The Dolphins, led by Grier at the combine, plan to use their interviews this week with the participating quarterbacks to assess their draft board at the position.
According to Grier, the interview process is a more significant indicator of a quarterback’s NFL potential than their on-field work.
“Until anyone sits down and talks to those players and gets to see how they learn football, how they process information, how they’re going to be in the locker room, what kind of leadership they bring, you can’t really say [who is better] because that’s the intangible that makes people great,” Grier said.
“We’ve seen a lot of guys come through the league that have big arms and can make every throw but if they’re not wired right upstairs they’re not going to make it. I don’t make any judgments on any classes until we sit down and get to know the players first.”
The Dolphins will likely move on from Ryan Tannehill, who could be traded this week or released with a June 1 designation that will save Miami $18.75 million.
Miami also has two other quarterbacks currently in tow: Luke Falk, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve last year, and Jake Rudock, a former St. Thomas Aquinas High standout who spent his first three seasons on the Detroit Lions practice squad.