Category: Sooners in NFL

Arizona Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury talks offseason, development of Kyler Murray

Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury thinks Kyler Murray could have a big season ahead.

Kyler Murray should be primed and ready for a big year two.

The 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year saw streaks of stardom strewn throughout his first season, and with newly added offensive weapons and depth, head coach Kliff Kingsbury thinks he could have a big season ahead.

“More than anything it’s being around his teammates and doing all those things off the field that you wanna see,” Kingsbury said in a press conference Monday. “The face of your franchise, the leadership, the work ethic, the study habits and all those things you really learn after year one that you have to do to be an elite player. I think the biggest steps he’s gonna take outside of that is his decision-making.”

The Cardinals added star receiver Deandre Hopkins in possibly the biggest trade of the offseason thus far, and added some much needed offensive depth across the board with the 2020 NFL Draft.

Murray threw for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns in his rookie season., completing 64% of his passes and throwing 12 interceptions. He also ran for 544 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground. 

“Everything was happening for him really fast at times last year.” Kingsbury said. “Second year in the system, very familiar with his O-line, his running backs, his receivers, I just feel like some of those negative plays taken early in the season are gonna be erased and it’s really gonna help us an offense.”

The Cardinals first game of the season is against the Super Bowl runner-up 49ers on Sunday, September 13 at 3:35. 

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Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb jerseys among NFL’s highest selling jerseys

Lamb’s navy blue No. 88 jersey is the fourteenth best-selling jersey in the entire league.

It seems as though 88 is quite the popular number in Dallas.

CeeDee Lamb’s jersey is the top non-quarterback rookie jersey on the market right now. Cowboys Wire reports that Lamb’s navy blue No. 88 jersey is the fourteenth best-selling jersey in the entire league. That puts Lamb ahead of every non-quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft.

Lamb trails Rob Gronkowski’s new Tampa Bay jersey as the No. 1 and No. 2  non-quarterback best sellers.

The top-selling rookie jersey is Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins home teal and road white. The pair of jerseys are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 for all jerseys, beating out the new Tampa Bay threads that Tom Brady is sporting this upcoming season.

Brady does own four of the top-10 jerseys with variations of his Buccaneers jerseys dotting the list. The only other non-quarterback to crack the top-20 in jersey sales in former Alabama wide receiver and now Denver Bronco, Jerry Jeudy.

Despite Lamb wanting to wear No. 10, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones persuaded Lamb to wear the famed 88 in honor of one of Jones’ close friends Jerry Lamb who recently passed away. Of course, number 88 is synonymous with both Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant when you think of the Dallas Cowboys.

Bryant told Lamb to ‘be you and be great’ after hearing Lamb was given the number. While carrying on three legacies, Lamb is well on his way to carving his own.

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Former Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signs endorsement deal with Nike

Oklahoma’s top draft picks are all joining the same brand. CeeDee Lamb has already joined one of the major sports brands in the country.

Oklahoma’s top draft picks are all joining the same brand.

Baker Mayfield unpacked his deal with Nike after wearing Adidas cleats at the NFL Combine. Then the dominant sports brand got ahold of Kyler Murray.

Now, it is Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, who made the announcement on his Instagram on Thursday.

Lamb was a Biletnikoff finalist after his third season at Oklahoma where he averaged a ridiculous 21.4 yards per catch. There was plenty of argument between him, Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs as to who was the top wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. Lamb fell to No. 3, but to a high-powered offense in the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 17 pick.

Mayfield, Murray and Lamb join Nike, which also endorses the likes of Russell Wilson, Odell Beckham Jr., Ezekiel Elliot and also former Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard.

Beckham Jr. signed the most recent mega shoe deal with Nike for around $29 million. Lamb is already heading into the NFL with lofty expectations after Jerry Jones adamantly wanted him to wear No. 88 in the footsteps of Dez Bryant and Michael Irvin.

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Lincoln Riley discusses Jalen Hurts’ use as a quarterback

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley joined Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network to talk about Jalen Hurts’ use.

To Hill or not to Hill.

After Jalen Hurts was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, there has been speculation that Philadelphia could use him in the same way that the Saints use Taysom Hill.

The Saints use Hill in a utility position, playing him at running back, wide receiver, tight end, kickoff and punt return, kickoff and punt coverage, as well was snaps at quarterback. With Hurts ability to run the football, the similarities aren’t far off. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley joined Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network to talk about his former QB.

“Yeah I think a little bit of those opinions are, one, people that haven’t really studied Jalen’s production, really watched the tape, and when you see that you’re going to see a guy that had one of the most efficient passing seasons in the history of college football this year.” Riley said.

Hurts threw for 3,851 yards in his lone season with Oklahoma, completing 69% of his attempts and scoring 32 passing touchdowns.

”You know, nothing against Taysom, again you’d love to have him on any football team you could ever have, but I do believe that Philadelphia and a lot of the other teams that were interested in Jalen were looking at him purely as a quarterback, excited about all the things he could do, you know bringing that winning attitude and bringing just a very versatile skillset.” Riley said. “I’m glad he got with a guy like Doug Pederson who will do a great job of developing him and using him in a lot of creative ways.

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Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray to play at Dallas Cowboys in October

Kyler Murray will meet up against the Super Bowl searching Cowboys on October 19.

Kyler Murray will get another chance to shine in Dallas this year.

After winning a Big 12 Championship in Dallas in his lone season starting for Oklahoma, the up-and-coming Arizona Cardinals will meet up against the Super Bowl searching Cowboys on October 19.

With the offseason acquisition of star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and several NFL ready draftees, Arizona is in prime position to have a big year.

After a tough season opener against the 49ers, the Cardinals should have a relatively easy stretch of games leading up to their Week 6 matchup in Dallas.

The Cowboys added Murray’s former teammate CeeDee Lamb with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, adding yet another weapon to what was already one of the league’s top offenses.

In his rookie season with Arizona, Murray threw for 3,722 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 349 of his 542 attempts, and earned the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The time and TV network for the matchup have yet to be announced.

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Former Oklahoma running back, Super Bowl Champion Damien Williams robbed in California

Kansas City Chiefs and former Oklahoma RB Damien Williams was robbed at an Airbnb in L.A., per TMZ Sports.

Kansas City Chiefs and former Oklahoma running back Damien Williams was robbed at an Airbnb in Los Angeles, per a report TMZ Sports.

Williams was not hurt in the incident, but the suspects managed to get around $1,000 in cash from the 28-year-old.

Airbnb is used for people who want to rent out their homes, and Williams had just checked into his when the three intruders broke in. The suspects reportedly surrounded Williams and the others and asked for cash.

The police have yet to locate the three suspects.

Williams has rushed for 1,231 yards in his six year professional career. One of his top performances came in this year’s Super Bowl, when he rushed for 104 yards, had four receptions for 29 yards, and scored a rushing and receiving touchdown. He scored the final touchdown of the game with 1:12 remaining to seal the Chiefs win over the 49ers.

In his two years with Oklahoma, Williams amassed 1,499 yards and 18 touchdowns.

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Former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin on CeeDee Lamb: ‘I love this kid’

Michael Irvin is one of the Dallas Cowboys greats to wear No. 88, and he gave his approval of the next No. 88 in CeeDee Lamb.

CeeDee Lamb has earned another former great’s approval.

The former Oklahoma WR was drafted No. 17 overall by the Cowboys in the 2020 NFL Draft. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was especially ecstatic about their pick and urged Lamb to don the No. 88 jersey, to which the receiver obliged.

In an interview on ESPN’s First Take on Friday, former Cowboy great Michael Irvin, who also wore the No. 88 jersey, gave Lamb his personal seal of approval.

“We’ve had multiple conversations and I love the kid. He’s going to be exactly what Dallas needs.” He said. “I ain’t talking about I like this kid. I love this kid.”

Irvin played receiver for Dallas for all 12 years of his professional career. He amassed 11,904 receiving yards and finished with 750 receptions. He scored 65 touchdowns and averaged 15.9 yards per catch.

Lamb is coming off a three-year career with Oklahoma. He scored 32 total touchdowns and finished with 3,292 receiving yards.

Kenneth Murray, Neville Gallimore amongst favorite NFL Draft selections by NFL personnel

Plenty of grades and opinions on the 2020 NFL Draft are already out there. NFL personnel talk about the draft and include two OU players.

There are always grades, winners and losers of the NFL Draft even though no one knows those answers quite yet.

Then there is actual, real analysis of who has been selected and where.

The 2020 NFL Draft concluded on April 25. Plenty of opinions have been shared about who got drafted where, who fits better where, who was taken too high and who was taken too low.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reached out to over a handful of anonymous NFL personnel to get their perspective on the 2020 NFL Draft. In there, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore were among some of the most liked picks of the draft.

“Kenneth Murray,” said an anonymous NFC scout. “That salty defense gets a stud in the middle that will be there a long time. Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Derwin James and now Murray? Sign me up.”

“Kenneth Murray was a great pick/fit for the Chargers,” said an anonymous NFC executive. “Although they needed OL, they went with best player on board and got a leader and someone who should be an impact player.”

“I thought Dallas’s Neville Gallimore in the third was a really good pick—we tried to get him,” said another anonymous NFC executive. “This guy, he’s raw, but to get an in-line rusher in the third round, that’s a really good get, especially when there were no edge guys available. It’s all upside with him. That was a guy that stuck out, that he was still available.”

The Los Angeles Chargers traded up to the 23rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in order to take Murray. He was a three-year starter—the first freshman to start at linebacker for the Sooners since 1975—from Oklahoma that started in every single game of his career. Murray was a two-year captain and became the cover boy for new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s ‘Speed D’.

The Dallas Cowboys were able to get a hold of Gallimore in the third round. His athleticism never matched his production at Oklahoma, but Grinch seemed to tap into something that the previous staff couldn’t with Gallimore in 2019 as his disruption and central focus for an offense was evident.

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Dez Bryant tells CeeDee Lamb to ‘be you and be great’ after getting No. 88 for Dallas Cowboys

A lot of attention comes with being a great player for the Dallas Cowboys. Dez Bryant tweeted at CeeDee Lamb after Lamb got his No. 88.

A lot of attention comes with being a great player for the Dallas Cowboys.

The hype train surrounding Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb after his selection with 17th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by Dallas has not slowed down since it happened.

Lamb joins an ultra-talented offense with the likes of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot and Amari Cooper. He planned on carving his own path by wearing No. 10, but Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones insisted on something more traditional.

Dallas’ greats Michael Irvin, Drew Pearson and Dez Bryant have donned the No. 88 for the Cowboys. Lamb is now going to do the same, and Bryant reached out to the former Oklahoma star on Twitter about it.

Lamb was a Biletnikoff Award finalist for the college football’s best pass catcher in 2019. Lamb recorded back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2018 and ’19 and posted a ridiculous 21.4 yards per catch total in his final season. He started as a true freshman for the Sooners in 2017 and helped Oklahoma have a record setting offense with Baker Mayfield at the helm.

Also joining him in Dallas is former Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who was taken in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. He will wear No. 75.

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As Jerry Jones insisted, CeeDee Lamb to wear No. 88 for Dallas Cowboys

A number has been at the forefront of NFL news. Yes, a number. CeeDee Lamb may finally have settled on his for the Dallas Cowboys.

A number has been at the forefront of post-NFL Draft news. Yes, a number.

Soon after Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 17th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, he tweeted out that he would be donning the No. 10—a change from his No. 2 he wore for the Sooners.

Word started to trickle out that Dallas’ owner Jerry Jones wanted Lamb to wear No. 88 to follow in the footsteps of Cowboy greats Dez Bryant, Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson. It seems as if that persistence has been paid off as Jon Machota of The Athletic reported that it ‘sounds like’ Lamb will be wearing No. 88 after all.

The former Oklahoma star was a Biletnikoff Award finalist for the college football’s best pass catcher in 2019. Lamb recorded back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2018 and ’19 and posted a ridiculous 21.4 yards per catch total in his final season. He started as a true freshman for the Sooners in 2017 and helped Oklahoma have a record setting offense with Baker Mayfield at the helm.

Lamb will join Amari Cooper, Dak Prescott, Zeke Elliot and the ultra-talented Dallas Cowboys offense, but his expectations are growing exponentially and the No. 88 will have some play in that.

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