Hail Murray Hollywood Style

Background: Sep 15, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) speaks to Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown (15) before the game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan

At the Cardinals’ pre-draft press conference, Steve Keim assured Cardinals’ fans not only that Kyler Murray is the team’s “long term and short term” QB, he said that Murray was making his wish list and checking it twice.

Well, Cardinals fans now have a pretty good idea as to what Kyler Murray’s number one wish was. As in —- gimme some Hollywood so we can get back to doing what we do:

The built-in chemistry and trust that Kyler has with the “Jet” is worth all its weight in gold. Kyler comes into this season wishing to improve his chemistry with his receivers, thus adding Brown is an auspicious way to kick off the 2022 season.

Steve Keim explained how much he wanted to draft Hollywood in 2019 when the team had him ranked at the #13 player on their board, despite a foot injury that could have caused Brown to slip out of the 1st round. Keim tried to trade back up into the 1st round, but could not get a taker.

Keim also explained his belief that the top WRs this year on their draft board would likely be taken before the #23 pick. As it turned out, even the Ravens, Packers and Chiefs with multiple 1st round picks were not able to draft WRs, despite their great desire to.

Incredibly, 4 of the 5 players whom Gambo included in his Gambo 5, were taken before the #23 pick, and the only one who wasn’t, Florida CB Kaiir Elam was taken at #23, not by the Ravens, but by the Bills who traded up with the Ravens to make that pick.

Many Cardinals fans were frustrated to learn that Florida St. DE Jermaine Johnson was surprisingly still on the board at #23, but Johnson’s slide in this draft may be an indication of some sort of a red flag. Premier pass rushers are always snatched up early, as we saw at the top of the draft. The fact that defensive G.O.A.T. guru, Bill Belichick traded out of the #21 spot with Jermaine Johnson on the board is perhaps yet another indication that Jermaine Johnson was sliding for a reason.

Early on in the newest version pf the Cardinals’ Flight plan, during Steve Keim’s interview at the NFL Combine, Mike Florio asked a very prescient question to the Cardinals’ GM of whether he would consider using the #23 pick to trade for a player. Steve Keim said about a potential trade for a players that “I admire that kind of aggressiveness” and that it often depends on the player, the player’s contract and what you have to give up to acquire him.

Steve Keim after the trade yesterday indicated that he and Eric DeCosta (Ravens’ GM) have been engaged in trade talks involving Marquise Brown for quite some time. Thus, when Mike Florio asked Steve Keim the trade for a player question back in February, one could imagine that Keim’s answer was tailor made to his thoughts about trading for Hollywood.

• The player: WR Marquise Brown
• The connection: QB Kyler Murray
• The contract: $2.1M in 2022, with 5th year option in 2023 $13.5M (if an extension is not agreed to prior to that season)
• The draft capital: giving up pick #23, while picking up pick #100

Steve Keim and Eric DeCosta have been eager and willing trading partners before as the two orchestrated the Marco Wilson pick at #136 in the late portion of the 4th round last year, which cost the Cardinals their 2021 5th (Ravens selected CB Shaun Wade of Ohio St.) and the Cardinals 4th round pick this year, pick #128.

NFL Players React to Hollywood Trade:

Mr. Jet jets in the “Primetime Jet” just in time for the Cardinals draft night celebration.

What is your Day 2 Mock for the Cardinals?

My hope:

• 55. Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
• 87: Myjai Sanders, Edge, Cincinnati
• 100: Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina

Cardinals are planning to feature their 12 personnel with:

• QB Kyler Murray (Colt McCoy)
• RB James Conner (Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward)
• WR DeAndre Hopkins (A.J. Green, Antoine Wesley)
• WR Marquise Brown (Rondale Moore, Andy Isabella*, Greg Dortch)
• TE Zach Ertz (Draft pick)
• TE Maxx Williams (Stephen Anderson)
• LT D.J. Humphries (Joshua Miles)
• LG Justin Pugh (Sean Harlow)
• C Rodney Hudson (Marcus Henry)
• RG Justin Murray (Will Hernandez)
• RT Kelvin Beachum (Josh Jones)

*trade candidate