It feels like only a matter of time before Kyler Murray is on a flight to the Twin Cities. At least the Minnesota Vikings better hope so.
The legal tampering period has already seen a good amount of movement across the NFL. The other options at quarterback are quickly dwindling for the Vikings as they attempt to surround J.J. McCarthy with more competition.
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Some of the quarterbacks that have found new homes include Tua Tagovailoa, who agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday afternoon after the Miami Dolphins publicly announced their plan to release him, as well as Geno Smith, who was acquired by the New York Jets on Tuesday afternoon in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Though the Vikings were never seriously considering Tagovailoa as an option, they were intrigued by Smith to some degree. That helps explain the Jets pulling off the surprising swap to essentially jump the line and make sure Smith never had an opportunity to entertain any sort of sales pitch.
This might not change anything for the Vikings. They have been connected to Murray at seemingly every turn over the past couple of weeks. It has been the worst kept secret in the NFL that the Vikings are interested in what Murray could bring to the position.
The skill set is undeniable when looking at what Murray has done to this point. He has thrown for 20,460 yards and 121 touchdowns and run for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns since entering the NFL. He has also completed 67.1% of his pass attempts.
Its important to note the Vikings aren’t allowed to have any contact with Murray until the Arizona Cardinals release him. That might be the biggest reason both sides haven’t yet agreed to terms.
The expectation is that the Cardinals will officially release Murray at 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon when free agency officially begins. There’s a very good chance that the Vikings sign Murray in the immediate aftermath.
It’s also possible that Murray could lean into the recruitment process a little bit and make the Vikings wait for his final decision. It doesn’t hurt for him to look around and see what’s out there for him.
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The main issue with that negotiating tactic is the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers are pretty much the only other team still in the market for a quarterback. There was speculation that the Jets could be a potential landing spot for Murray before they went out and got Smith.
The general consensus is that the Vikings are the best choice for Murray if he wants to get back on track. He desperately needs to repair his value after being benched by the Cardinals in favor of Jacoby Brissett amid a disastrous campaign.
It’s not hard to imagine Murray thriving with the Vikings considering all the talent they have on offense. He will get to throw the ball to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, among a handful of other weapons. He also will get to impact the game with his scrambling ability when the moment calls for it.
If the Vikings were to somehow miss out on Murray, they would likely pivot to somebody like Kirk Cousins, or maybe even Aaron Rodgers. That’s why they need to do everything in their power to sign Murray once he becomes available.
Though the Vikings certainly didn’t make a big splash on Tuesday afternoon, they quietly agreed to terms with Andrew DePaola to keep him around at long snapper.
It’s reportedly a 1-year, $1.725 million contract for DePaola that is fully guaranteed. He made clear after the Vikings missed the playoffs that he wasn’t considering retirement. It shouldn’t come as a shock that DePaola is coming back.
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