Kyler Murray could, if he wants, take an aggressive and direct position with the NFL, making it clear that he’ll only play football if he’s drafted at or above a certain spot, by a certain team or teams. On the PFT Live set last week in Atlanta, Murray said he won’t attach such requirements to his NFL future.
But even if he doesn’t take this approach, will his final baseball-or-football decision be influenced by where he’s drafted and by whom, or will he accept whatever hand the NFL draft process deals him?
What if he’s drafted by a team with an entrenched starter? What if he’s not drafted in round one? Round two? What if NFL scouts decide over the next two-and-a-half months not that he’s too short but that he’s too slight and too thin, with a frame not conducive to building the suit of muscular armor that will help him absorb the punishment that comes from playing pro football? (After spending time with him, it wouldn’t be a surprise if some scouts come to that conclusion.)
Putting it another way, will Murray burn the bridge to baseball, or will he keep an eye on the sport while he learns more about what the NFL thinks of him? He likely realizes that he needs to act as if he’s all in with football in order to be drafted as high as possible. Whether a team that could be blowing a first-round pick on a guy who eventually says “thanks but no thanks” will feel comfortable rolling the dice is a different question.
Much of this can be handled behind the scenes, if Murray hires an agent who has earned the trust of teams. The agent can tell teams privately whether Murray will or won’t show up if drafted in a certain spot by a certain team. And if all else fails, that perfunctory “how would you like to play for [insert name of team]?” phone call from the head coach or G.M. won’t be for show -- it will be a real question aimed at figuring out whether the team should put Murray’s name or someone else’s on the draft card, before it’s too late.
