Red Rain: Kyler Murray Trade?

By Walter Mitchell Mar 2, 2022, 9:55am MST

Please read my comments that follow the podcast links. Thanks pals.

Now that Kyler Murray's agent has moved his bishop and put Michael Bidwill in check, what will Bidwill do?
— Walter B J Mitchell (@WBJMItch) February 28, 2022

Do you want to see give Kyler Murray a 6 year extension at $45.8M annually?
— Walter B J Mitchell (@WBJMItch) March 1, 2022

While taping this, the news came in that Michael Bidwill has extended Kliff Kingsbury’s and Steve Keim’s contract through the 2027 season.

Keeping the continuity at HC helps the Cardinals create added confidence for the free agents that Cardinals would like to sign, and from everything I have heard, players like playing for Kliff. With good reason, imo. If the Cardinals’ personnel keeps improving, then Kliff Kingsbury will have a good chance to shed the late season swoon stigma.

Keeping Steve Keim at GM as part of the package is a good move only if the Cardinals’ coaches pledge to embrace, play and develop the team’s draft picks. If the disconnect between Steve Keim and the coaches continues, then a change at GM will be warranted. What Bidwill can do if that is the case, is sign a new GM and keep Keim as a team executive.

I am not sure if these moves are going to impact Kyler Murray’s contract demands, but Bidwill, Keim and Kingsbury might have a plan B in case Murray elects to hold out by rejecting the $30M guaranteed 5th year option.

Now, it could mean that these signings signal a Murray contract extension —- but my hunch is, Murray/Burkhardt would like to make a trade demand if Bidwill doesn’t act swiftly to ink Kyler to the extension —- and now they can say, well you did it for Kliff and Keim, then you could do it for us.

Today’s news does not change the hunches that I expound on in this podcast, thus I will be very interested in hearing your thoughts —- what do you think about: