Prejudiced Against Kyler Murray?

Harry

ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Posts
10,717
Reaction score
22,394
Location
Orlando, FL
It is true he wasn’t my choice for the first pick. He is unquestionably playing great football. My issue with the title comment is the word “prejudiced.” My questions about Murray were legitimate and shared by many talent evaluators. The problem is “prejudice” is it’s unfounded and subjective. My comments haven’t been that. I’ve posted Murray is the best running QB I’ve ever seen. My issues have all been about technique and focus, especially with regard to passing.

Murray has dramatically improved in many technical aspects. One of the biggest being he’s getting better at keeping his eyes downfield and pulling up before he throws when he has room. He’s made several big plays that way. This was not what he did early on, he just ran or threw off his back foot. He has also done a better job of using his progressions to make better target choices. Finally his ball placement has improved considerably, allowing more YAC and reducing interceptions.

Is he now the perfect QB; no. He still runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. He still throws to heavily covered receivers. He doesn’t always identify zone coverage. All that said, he is clearly among the most impactful QBs in the league. If he can sustain this level of play the Cards will be the playoff team I said they would be this past summer. Is he the MVP? He’s certainly one of the front runners, but there are 13 games left. Remember last season. Sustaining performance over a long season has to be learned. The Cards brought in all these vets for that very reason. They know what it takes.

I’ve been a Cards’ fan for over 50 years. Of course I want Murray and all the other Cards to succeed. I try to be objective in my evaluations. Murray was very inexperienced when chosen. He had much to learn. He has learned a substantial amount of what he needs to win consistently. He needs to continue his skill set improvement and not allow himself to be distracted by people looking to already crown him MVP. Let’s make the playoffs first. The O-line is already experiencing injuries. A 17 game season won’t increase durability. How will Murray respond to less protection? Hopefully he keeps his focus.
 

Vacard

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Posts
4,120
Reaction score
3,344
Location
VA
Max Garcia and Josh Jones (minus the false starts) have been admirable in protecting Murray. We haven’t missed a beat most likely due to coaching. Injuries happen but great teams overcome them.
 

SoonerLou

ASFN Addict
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Posts
7,676
Reaction score
11,187
Location
St Louis, MO
It is true he wasn’t my choice for the first pick. He is unquestionably playing great football. My issue with the title comment is the word “prejudiced.” My questions about Murray were legitimate and shared by many talent evaluators. The problem is “prejudice” is it’s unfounded and subjective. My comments haven’t been that. I’ve posted Murray is the best running QB I’ve ever seen. My issues have all been about technique and focus, especially with regard to passing.

Murray has dramatically improved in many technical aspects. One of the biggest being he’s getting better at keeping his eyes downfield and pulling up before he throws when he has room. He’s made several big plays that way. This was not what he did early on, he just ran or threw off his back foot. He has also done a better job of using his progressions to make better target choices. Finally his ball placement has improved considerably, allowing more YAC and reducing interceptions.

Is he now the perfect QB; no. He still runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. He still throws to heavily covered receivers. He doesn’t always identify zone coverage. All that said, he is clearly among the most impactful QBs in the league. If he can sustain this level of play the Cards will be the playoff team I said they would be this past summer. Is he the MVP? He’s certainly one of the front runners, but there are 13 games left. Remember last season. Sustaining performance over a long season has to be learned. The Cards brought in all these vets for that very reason. They know what it takes.

I’ve been a Cards’ fan for over 50 years. Of course I want Murray and all the other Cards to succeed. I try to be objective in my evaluations. Murray was very inexperienced when chosen. He had much to learn. He has learned a substantial amount of what he needs to win consistently. He needs to continue his skill set improvement and not allow himself to be distracted by people looking to already crown him MVP. Let’s make the playoffs first. The O-line is already experiencing injuries. A 17 game season won’t increase durability. How will Murray respond to less protection? Hopefully he keeps his focus.
Something doesnt compute cause those werent the knocks on Kyler coming out. Most were saying if he was 6'2" he'd been viewed as the no brainer #1 pick.

Lack of experience and size were the concerns with Kyler.
 

Crimson Warrior

Dangerous Murray Zealot
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Posts
7,519
Reaction score
7,204
Location
Home of the Thunder
It is true he wasn’t my choice for the first pick. He is unquestionably playing great football. My issue with the title comment is the word “prejudiced.” My questions about Murray were legitimate and shared by many talent evaluators. The problem is “prejudice” is it’s unfounded and subjective. My comments haven’t been that. I’ve posted Murray is the best running QB I’ve ever seen. My issues have all been about technique and focus, especially with regard to passing.

Murray has dramatically improved in many technical aspects. One of the biggest being he’s getting better at keeping his eyes downfield and pulling up before he throws when he has room. He’s made several big plays that way. This was not what he did early on, he just ran or threw off his back foot. He has also done a better job of using his progressions to make better target choices. Finally his ball placement has improved considerably, allowing more YAC and reducing interceptions.

Is he now the perfect QB; no. He still runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. He still throws to heavily covered receivers. He doesn’t always identify zone coverage. All that said, he is clearly among the most impactful QBs in the league. If he can sustain this level of play the Cards will be the playoff team I said they would be this past summer. Is he the MVP? He’s certainly one of the front runners, but there are 13 games left. Remember last season. Sustaining performance over a long season has to be learned. The Cards brought in all these vets for that very reason. They know what it takes.

I’ve been a Cards’ fan for over 50 years. Of course I want Murray and all the other Cards to succeed. I try to be objective in my evaluations. Murray was very inexperienced when chosen. He had much to learn. He has learned a substantial amount of what he needs to win consistently. He needs to continue his skill set improvement and not allow himself to be distracted by people looking to already crown him MVP. Let’s make the playoffs first. The O-line is already experiencing injuries. A 17 game season won’t increase durability. How will Murray respond to less protection? Hopefully he keeps his focus.

"Running QB"? His QB rating is 115.0. His completion percentage is a sick 76%. He's a passer first. By a mile. Always has been, always will be.
 

SoonerLou

ASFN Addict
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Posts
7,676
Reaction score
11,187
Location
St Louis, MO
"Running QB"? His QB rating is 115.0. His completion percentage is a sick 76%. He's a passer first. By a mile. Always has been, always will be.
It was Lincoln Riley who encouraged him to run more the 2nd half of his last year in college. Kyler for the most part stayed in the pocket until then.
 

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
24,182
Reaction score
16,252
Location
The Giant Toaster
The Big 12 is 7v7 football and Oklahoma was stacked on offense. Looking at their 2018 depth chart and where they eventually were drafted:

WR Lamb - 1st rd
WR Hollywood - 1st rd
RB Sermon - 3rd rd
LT Evans - 3rd rd
LG Powers - 4th rd
C Humphrey - 2nd rd
RG Samia - 4th rd
RT Ford - 2nd rd

A lot of QB’s would look great in that situation so it wasn’t necessarily a direct knock on Kyler thinking his superstar talent would automatically translate to a bad NFL team.
 

ajcardfan

I see you.
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
36,596
Reaction score
20,773
A lot of QB’s would look great in that situation so it wasn’t necessarily a direct knock on Kyler thinking his superstar talent would automatically translate to a bad NFL team.
How do you know he thought that?
 
OP
OP
Harry

Harry

ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Posts
10,717
Reaction score
22,394
Location
Orlando, FL
Something doesnt compute cause those werent the knocks on Kyler coming out. Most were saying if he was 6'2" he'd been viewed as the no brainer #1 pick.

Lack of experience and size were the concerns with Kyler.
I guess you’re saying height was the only issue And my indicating otherwise is not the case. Gosh this sounds familiar. Here’s the NFL.com profile. Certainly height related concerns were part of the typical evaluations but far from the only issue,
”Weaknesses
  • Just one season as full-time starter and leader of the team
  • Requires diversity-of-game experience for NFL chess matches
  • Had 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions before final season
  • Short with smallish frame
  • Concerns over durability due to size and playing style
  • Needs to implement more open-field slides when finishing runs
  • Could struggle to see and throw over defenders from the pocket
  • Defaults to low arm-angle throws unnecessarily
  • Will leave feet behind when scanning and throwing
  • Needs better eye discipline to avoid stare-down scenarios
  • Too willing to challenge into double coverage
  • Mechanical inconsistencies can cause throws to sail
  • Needs to prove he can throw on time to the middle of the field”
 

SoonerLou

ASFN Addict
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Posts
7,676
Reaction score
11,187
Location
St Louis, MO
I guess you’re saying height was the only issue And my indicating otherwise is not the case. Gosh this sounds familiar. Here’s the NFL.com profile. Certainly height related concerns were part of the typical evaluations but far from the only issue,
”Weaknesses
  • Just one season as full-time starter and leader of the team
  • Requires diversity-of-game experience for NFL chess matches
  • Had 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions before final season
  • Short with smallish frame
  • Concerns over durability due to size and playing style
  • Needs to implement more open-field slides when finishing runs
  • Could struggle to see and throw over defenders from the pocket
  • Defaults to low arm-angle throws unnecessarily
  • Will leave feet behind when scanning and throwing
  • Needs better eye discipline to avoid stare-down scenarios
  • Too willing to challenge into double coverage
  • Mechanical inconsistencies can cause throws to sail
  • Needs to prove he can throw on time to the middle of the field”
A lot of that relates to size and experience.
Wow all those "flaws" and he still went #1, won rookie of the year and made the pro bowl by his 2nd year at 5'10". Its quite amazing really.

Some of those are clear over analysis for things that typically come with experience. Im sure other Qbs have had a "list" of issues if we wanted to search. But lets get to the real issue. Where and why is focus such an issue?
 

BullheadCardFan

Go for it
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Posts
60,059
Reaction score
22,595
Location
Bullhead City, AZ
It is true he wasn’t my choice for the first pick. He is unquestionably playing great football. My issue with the title comment is the word “prejudiced.” My questions about Murray were legitimate and shared by many talent evaluators. The problem is “prejudice” is it’s unfounded and subjective. My comments haven’t been that. I’ve posted Murray is the best running QB I’ve ever seen. My issues have all been about technique and focus, especially with regard to passing.

Murray has dramatically improved in many technical aspects. One of the biggest being he’s getting better at keeping his eyes downfield and pulling up before he throws when he has room. He’s made several big plays that way. This was not what he did early on, he just ran or threw off his back foot. He has also done a better job of using his progressions to make better target choices. Finally his ball placement has improved considerably, allowing more YAC and reducing interceptions.

Is he now the perfect QB; no. He still runs out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. He still throws to heavily covered receivers. He doesn’t always identify zone coverage. All that said, he is clearly among the most impactful QBs in the league. If he can sustain this level of play the Cards will be the playoff team I said they would be this past summer. Is he the MVP? He’s certainly one of the front runners, but there are 13 games left. Remember last season. Sustaining performance over a long season has to be learned. The Cards brought in all these vets for that very reason. They know what it takes.

I’ve been a Cards’ fan for over 50 years. Of course I want Murray and all the other Cards to succeed. I try to be objective in my evaluations. Murray was very inexperienced when chosen. He had much to learn. He has learned a substantial amount of what he needs to win consistently. He needs to continue his skill set improvement and not allow himself to be distracted by people looking to already crown him MVP. Let’s make the playoffs first. The O-line is already experiencing injuries. A 17 game season won’t increase durability. How will Murray respond to less protection? Hopefully he keeps his focus.
Great post Harry

I agree with all you said
 

juza76

ASFN Icon
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Posts
13,671
Reaction score
9,384
Location
milan-italy
U were talking about how good was his cast and u add many other qbs would look great there
How do u know that
Considering i don't see qbs more talented then him
The line btw was not so great
Lamb is pretty good and Hollywood has some potential, but even other receivers looked good with him
 

jf-08

Guy Smiley
Administrator
Super Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
26,024
Reaction score
20,153
Location
Eye in the Sky
"Running QB"? His QB rating is 115.0. His completion percentage is a sick 76%. He's a passer first. By a mile. Always has been, always will be.
But his running adds a dynamic that differentiates him from every other QB. It's not like he's only a deadly pocket passer. How can he kill you? With his legs too. That's what is meant by a running QB. And his running is by far a bigger morale killer than his passing.
 

Crimson Warrior

Dangerous Murray Zealot
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Posts
7,519
Reaction score
7,204
Location
Home of the Thunder
A lot of that relates to size and experience.
Wow all those "flaws" and he still went #1, won rookie of the year and made the pro bowl by his 2nd year at 5'10". Its quite amazing really.

Some of those are clear over analysis for things that typically come with experience. Im sure other Qbs have had a "list" of issues if we wanted to search. But lets get to the real issue. Where and why is focus such an issue?

Something about K1 that people don't talk about very much, because they're too busy talking about his athleticism, is the kids will to win, which I think is way, way above average. He's probably been doubted most of his life, not least of all because of his height, and I think that fuels his desire to be great.

I hope people keep talking about his "flaws". I really do.
 
Last edited:

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
24,182
Reaction score
16,252
Location
The Giant Toaster
U were talking about how good was his cast and u add many other qbs would look great there
How do u know that
Considering i don't see qbs more talented then him
The line btw was not so great
Lamb is pretty good and Hollywood has some potential, but even other receivers looked good with him

Your post formatting is hard to comprehend but my point is that it wasn’t crazy to think his supporting cast wasn’t a big reason of his success. Mayfield had just gone #1 the year before and Hurts was putting up prolific numbers the year after. Obviously the cast helped but Kyler is proving he’s everything that people who loved him as a prospect would be.
 

slanidrac16

ASFN Icon
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2002
Posts
14,997
Reaction score
14,401
Location
Plainfield, Il.
Nice to hear from you again Harry. Don’t let anybody run you out of here. Your opinions are very much appreciated.

Kyler has blossomed this year. It’s like night and day. He’s throwing more from the pocket which now makes him very dangerous.

Blitz him? Well if you do you’d better get him or he will kill you.
Play man to man and try to contain him? Be my guess because if a Wr isn’t open he will be 10 yards downfield before you know it.
Play zone? Here’s where Kyler’s has seemed to have grown the most. His patience is so much better. He will gladly take the 5-6 yard gain.

Barring injury Kyler will get better and better. The evaluations prior to the draft don’t matter anymore.
 

oaken1

Stone Cold
Supporting Member
Banned from P+R
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Posts
16,138
Reaction score
12,312
Location
Modesto, California
A lot of that relates to size and experience.
Wow all those "flaws" and he still went #1, won rookie of the year and made the pro bowl by his 2nd year at 5'10". Its quite amazing really.

Some of those are clear over analysis for things that typically come with experience. Im sure other Qbs have had a "list" of issues if we wanted to search. But lets get to the real issue. Where and why is focus such an issue?
But lets get to the real issue...Spit the ******* dick out Lou... gad damn man

every evaluation is based on an individuals observation and personal experiences. questioning the focus of a young QB is normal,...especially when he joins an esports team....is esports an issue?? obviously not,.... but absolutely normal to expect outside influences to be a distraction for a young guy that still has lots to learn.
 
Top