Arizona general manager Steve Keim said he remembers the moment he decided the Cardinals would make former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray the first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Apr 26, 2019; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray speaks to the media during a press conference at the Cardinals Training Facility after being drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
“When I closed my eyes and I visualized Kyler Murray running around State Farm Stadium in red and white, for whatever reason, all I saw was just fireworks, excitement, a must-see where fans have to go and show up and see this thing. Him being the architect was a phenomenal fit for me,” Keim told NBC’s Peter King.
Earlier in the day, Keim said Murray will be the Cardinals’ Week 1 starter.
“We didn’t draft him No. 1 overall to ride the pine,” Keim said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I know it’s a lot to put on his back, but that’s why we drafted him. He’s a fierce competitor, and that’s what he did at Oklahoma this year. He put the team on his back. They didn’t have a great defense, and he knew he had to score almost every series to give them a chance to win.”
—Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock doubled down on Derek Carr as the team’s franchise quarterback after not selecting a signal-caller in the draft.
Mayock was widely panned by the media following his first draft as a GM. The second-guessing began with his first selection, using the No. 4 overall pick on Clemson Tigers defensive end Clelin Ferrell.
He told The Rich Eisen Show that he and coach Jon Gruden identified Ferrell as the player they wanted entering the first round, and they were comfortable taking him at No. 4 after an opportunity to trade down did not materialize.
“The bottom line is that we knew going in that he was going to be our guy,” Mayock said. “Whether that was at (No.) 4 … 7, 8, 10, whatever, he was going to be our guy.”
—A Florida judge again blocked release of surveillance videos related to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s visits to a spa in Jupiter, Fla.
Kraft is one of 25 men charged with paying for sexual acts at Orchids of Asia Day Spa. The 77-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two counts of soliciting.
Palm Beach County judge Joseph Marx ruled that video and audio recordings that are part of evidence in the case against Kraft and the others are to remain sealed. A temporary order barring the release of the videos occurred earlier this month.
—Josh Rosen embraced a fresh start during his introductory news conference with the Miami Dolphins.
“Very rarely do you get a second chance to make a first impression,” Rosen said. “It felt like I got drafted twice.”
The former Cardinals quarterback will look to build upon a rookie season during which he passed for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He is expected to compete with veteran signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick for playing time in Miami, which acquired Rosen shortly after Arizona drafted Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick.
—New York Giants sixth-round pick Corey Ballentine remains in the hospital after Sunday’s early morning shooting that also took the life of former Washburn University teammate Dwane Simmons.
The two were shot outside an off-campus party as they celebrated Ballentine’s future with the Giants. Ballentine, a cornerback who was drafted 180th overall on Saturday, sustained a single gunshot wound to his glutes but he is expected to make a full recovery and make it to rookie minicamp on Thursday.
“He’s a really bright kid and he’s a great kid,” Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said on SiriusXM NFL radio, via NJ.com. “What happened is tragic and unfortunate. That’s his best friend he was with. We spoke to him on Sunday. He’s coming along fine. He’ll be here Thursday for the minicamp this weekend.”
—The Pittsburgh Steelers placed linebacker Ryan Shazier on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
It will mark the second straight campaign in which Shazier will spend the season on the PUP list. He hasn’t played since suffering a spinal injury in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, 2017.
The 26-year-old has remained motivated toward playing in the NFL again. He reiterated that a few months ago when speaking to reporters shortly before the Super Bowl.
—The Cleveland Browns are bringing in some competition for punter Britton Colquitt.
The team worked out undrafted Scottish free agent punter Jamie Gillan before the NFL draft and they are on the verge of signing him. Gillan, nicknamed “The Scottish Hammer,” averaged 42.9 yards per punt last season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Born in England, Gillan played rugby growing up in Scotland but began playing football after his father, a member of the Royal Armed Forces, was transferred to the United States. He attended high school in Leonardtown, Md.
—Vincent Testaverde, the son of former Tampa Bay quarterback Vinny Testaverde, will try out for the Buccaneers during the team’s rookie minicamp.
His college coach at Albany, Greg Gattuso, made the announcement on Twitter.
The elder Testaverde, now 55, played at Miami, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1986. He was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1987 draft.
—Field Level Media
