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- Mar 19, 2019
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When ESPN launches its new-look, Witten-less coverage of the NFL in August, the first officially unofficial game could quite possibly feature the debut of 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.
The second week of the 2019 preseason begins on Thursday, August 15, with the Cardinals hosting the Raiders in a game that will be televised by ESPN. If Murray is drafted by the Cardinals, who hold the first overall selection in the process that begins in only 16 days, Murray likely would be starting for the home team.
And if the Cardinals don’t select Murray, he could be playing for the visiting team — either as the backup to Derek Carr or as the outright starter, if former ESPN analyst Jon Gruden decides to pick Murray and trade Carr.
That gives ESPN something that can be hyped via the joint ABC-ESPN draft coverage, along with an added incentive to do everything possible to ensure that Arizona’s draft plans remain secret until the Cardinals submit the card containing the name of the player they’ll select.