NFL Rumors: Jon Gruden ‘very Interested' in Kyler Murray in NFL Draft

The Raiders have their franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. Or at least that's what they're saying

But is it really just a smoke screen?

Despite having Carr under contract through 2022, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is "very interested" in Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, reports NBC Sports' Peter King. 

Gruden has highly praised Murray in public, sparking speculation from many. At the NFL Scouting Combine, however, he clarified his comments

"People try to read between the lines," Gruden said. "Somebody at the Senior Bowl asked a question about Kyler Murray and all of a sudden...Honest to God, Jiminy Christmas. People can write whatever they want. There's no gamesmanship here. No."

Raiders GM Mike Mayock called Carr "a franchise quarterback" at the combine. Gruden took it a step further: "Yeah, he is our franchise quarterback, yes. I'll try to make that clear."

Anything can happen, though. If the Raiders cut Carr, it would only cost the team $7.5 million in dead money. And if they kept him, that still doesn't mean they would necessarily shy away from Murray. 

The talk of the combine, however, is that Murray going No. 1 overall to the Cardinals is a "done deal." 

In the case the Cardinals don't draft the quarterback, he could be available at No. 4 overall to the Raiders, or Mayock could use his plethora of picks in a trade to pluck the former Heisman Trophy winner. 

[RELATED: 'No gamesmanship' in Jon Gruden's Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins praise]

Imagining a scenario with Murray on the Raiders at the same time as Carr really isn't too crazy. He could sit behind the veteran in 2019 and be used in spurts with his electric athleticism, and then take over in 2020 as the team transitions to Las Vegas. 

The NFL draft is less than two months away, but rumors regarding the Raiders and every other team, are going nowhere.

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