Maybe Vegas knows what it's talking about.
Two weeks after online sportsbooks BetOnline and BetDSI listed the Raiders as favorites to draft quarterback Kyler Murray, one NFL.com analyst agrees.
The Raiders own three picks -- No. 4, 24 and 27 -- in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Lance Zierlein has Jon Gruden swinging for the fences and selecting the Heisman Trophy winner with their top pick.
This is not just some click-bait pick. Murray doesn't have prototypical size. Yeah, I get it. However, when you look at his ability to make winning plays, Murray stands out way above the rest of this year's QB class. He can be weaved into the offense in 2019 and take over for Derek Carr in a year.
Carr signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension in June of 2017. The deal runs through 2022, but there's a catch. If the Raiders release the quarterback after the 2019 season, they would only be hit with $7.5 million in dead cap space.
In this case, like Zierlein writes, Murray could then take over in 2020, the Raiders' first year in Las Vegas. Somehow, this all ties back to the A's.
The A's, who selected Murray No. 9 overall as an outfielder in the 2018 MLB Draft, have moved to Triple-A affiliate to ... Las Vegas. The newly named Las Vegas Aviators have a two-year deal for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
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In two weeks, the A's report for spring training and Murray is one of the 18 non-roster invitees. Manager Bob Melvin and the rest of the organization expect him to be there, despite him declaring for the NFL draft, but the real question is, will Sin City bring us the next two-way star on a gridiron and a minor league diamond?
