There were a lot of LA Chargers draft misses in the Tom Telesco era, but none was more frustrating than Kenneth Murray. The Chargers traded back into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the same draft they found their franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, to trade for the explosive Oklahoma linebacker.
Taking a linebacker in the first round already comes at an opportunity cost. Trading draft capital to take a linebacker in the first round is even more staggering. Anything short of Murray being a Pro Bowl-caliber player would have cemented this swing as a bad one.
Murray is far from a Pro Bowl-caliber player. He was one of the worst starters on the Chargers' defense during his four-year tenure in LA and the Bolts had no problem letting him walk after his rookie contract expired. Now, after a one-year stint in Tennessee that was equally as bad, Murray has found himself in Dallas.
To the surprise of nobody, Murray has struggled for the Cowboys this season. Despite that, head coach Brian Schottenheimer is sticking with Murray as Dallas looks to make a run at the NFL Playoffs. This has rightfully upset Cowboys fans and analysts alike, with Jerry Trotta of The Landry Hat perfectly representing how Cowboys fans feel:
"The Cowboys might already be buried for good, but continuing to play Murray over 30 snaps per game is quite literally asking to lose," Trotta writes.
"Murray is far from the only problem on Matt Eberflus' defense (Eberflus might be the biggest issue), but he arguably shouldn't be on an NFL roster, let alone logging the most snaps of any linebacker not named DeMarvion Overshown."
Cowboys fans are getting the full Kenneth Murray experience Chargers fans know all too well
If you feel like you have read those exact words before, well, you probably have read something similar. Trotta sounds painfully familiar to the articles that would run here on Bolt Beat when Murray was still a member of the Chargers.
This has been the story of Murray's career through and through. Three different teams now have convinced themselves of Murray's top-tier athleticism with the pipe dream of finally figuring him out. And just like the Chargers and Titans did before, the Cowboys are learning that the holes are simply too large to fill.
Pro Football Focus grades are far from being a definitive representation of how good a player is in today's league. However, it is notable when someone has a 36.8 overall grade, which ranks 82nd among 85 NFL linebackers. Murray hasn't just been bad, he's reached an even lower point than he reached before.
This is all important to the Chargers not just because the team gave up on Murray at the right time. Los Angeles has Dallas on the schedule in three weeks, and with Schottenheimer standing by Murray, there's a good chance the Bolts see a familiar face in a game that could have huge playoff implications for both parties.
The Chargers faced Murray last season and they made the most of the matchup. Herbert, quite literally, went after Murray and targeted him the entire time. Whether it was with quarterback scrambles or targeting Murray when he was matched up one-on-one with Quentin Johnston, the Bolts took what they knew about Murray last season and made the most of it.
You better believe Jim Harbaugh will do the same thing when the Chargers take the trip to AT&T Stadium later this month. And if it's anything like last year's matchup against Murray, Cowboys fans will reach a new level of frustration.