Kansas City Chiefs 2015 Training Camp Profile: QB Aaron Murray

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Aaron Murray, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Training Camp
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If not for a torn left ACL during his senior season at GeorgiaAaron Murray likely would have been drafted before the fifth round (No. 163 overall) in 2014. He did not throw a regular season pass during his rookie season, as the third-string quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, but heading into his second season he said he is 100 percent healthy and looking to make significant progress.

Alex Smith is still firmly in place as Kansas City’s starting quarterback, and Chase Daniel remains as No. 2 on the depth chart. Daniel has an inflated base salary compared to most backup quarterbacks ($3.75 million for 2015), which made him a potential candidate to be released this offseason, but at this point he should be back with the Chiefs for the final year of his contract. Tyler Bray sat out of all of 2014 with a torn ACL of his own, and it’s fair to assume Murray has a significant leg up on him for a roster spot.

Murray finished his college career with SEC records for passing yards (13,166), touchdowns (121) and total offense (13,562), and he was the first quarterback in the conference’s history to post four straight 3,000-yard passing seasons. His long-term future is unclear, in terms of becoming a starter, but being able to put health concerns behind him and focus on adjusting to the intricacies of the NFL game should benefit Murray going forward.

Murray is Kansas City’s No. 3 quarterback right now, and that won’t change as long as Daniel is not surprisingly cut between now and the start of training camp. I don’t see Murray seriously challenging Daniel for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart during camp, but I do think the second-year signal caller will clearly secure his place on the roster with a promising showing in that setting.

It’s safe to assume that Murray will see a lot of action during preseason games, since the Chiefs’ top two quarterbacks will not play more than absolutely necessary, and that could provide a glimpse at his potential now that he is fully healthy. Murray could easily put himself on track to be Kansas City’s quarterback of the future, or start to make himself potential trade bait down the road, by performing well during training camp and the preseason.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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