Report: A’s expect first-round pick Kyler Murray to enter NFL Draft
Jan 10, 2019, 12:00 AM
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 15: The Oakland Athletics number one draft pick Kyler Murray #1 an outfielder out of the University of Oklahoma takes batting practice prior to the start of the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
by Andrew Pasquini – Sports 1140 KHTK
The Oakland Athletics are expecting first-round pick and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray to declare for the NFL Draft on Sunday, according to Susan Slusser and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Athletics drafted Murray with the ninth overall pick in last June’s MLB Draft. According to the Chronicle, Murray declaring for the draft does not ensure that he will reject his $4.66 million deal with the Athletics but it does give a higher probability that Murray will choose football over baseball.
Murray could opt to enter the NFL Draft and also join the Athletics on February 15 when position players will report to big-league camp. Murray has been given an invite to join the Athletics for spring training but the NFL combine begins on February 26, which Murray, a projected high first-round pick, would be expected to attend.
If Murray does choose football over baseball, he would have to return his signing bonus to the Athletics but the A’s would not receive a compensation pick for this June’s draft.
“That’s a huge problem, not getting a draft pick back, that would be really bad,” one source told the Chronicle on Wednesday.
The deal Murray signed allowed the quarterback and outfielder to play his junior season with the Oklahoma football team but would not allow him to play his senior season with the Sooners. His agent Scott Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle in December that Murray was planning to join the Athletics for spring training.
It was reported earlier in the week that due to the workload of being a quarterback in the NFL, Murray would have to choose between either playing football or baseball.
