Kyler Murray 2021 Outlook: Now or Never
4 years agoAfter the Hail Murray in the end zone, everything was looking up for the Arizona Cardinals in 2020. They were the last team to beat the Buffalo Bills until the AFC Championship game. They had a top-three WR and Kyler Murray was playing at an MVP level. Then it all came crashing down. First, Kenyan Drake got hurt. Then, with the playoffs on the line, Murray was taken out in the first quarter of the Cardinals' Week 17 matchup against the elite Rams defense. So, what to expect in 2021? The surrounding cast has changed a bit. Out is Kenyan Drake and in is A.J. Green. We still do not have an official answer on Larry Fitzgerald. At this point though, he is a veteran locker room presence, at most. Green has had a rash of bad luck in recent years. Not only was he stuck on the Bengals, but he was also held out for the entire 2019 season to allow his salary to be paid by insurance instead of the team. He is happy to be in Arizona for sure. This could lead to a late-career resurgence. Either way, his threat on the opposite side of the field from DeAndre Hopkins is going to allow both of them to be better in 2020. If they can get any help from the other pass-catchers in Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella, this team might just make the playoffs. Murray is set for another good season/ All of his numbers improved in 2020. He went from 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie to 26 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions as a sophomore. He threw for 249 more yards in one fewer game as well. And his rushing yards increased from 544 on 93 rushes to 819 on 133 rushes, while improving from four rushing scores to 11. He is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the NFL. He is a legitimate threat to finish as the overall QB1. If you are willing to pay the top six-round price to get him, he's well worth it. If you are a late-round QB guy, he will be too expensive. But when you base him off the price of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen, he might be the best value of them all.