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Chargers rookie LB rookie Kenneth Murray’s action continues to rise

The Chargers drafted quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft. They surprised many when they returned in the first round and selected linebacker Kenneth Murray with the 23rd overall pick.

He is considered the quarterback of the defense. There is a lot of excitement around No.56 because of what he brings to an already talented defense.

“I feel like I’m right in the middle, flying, running and hitting,” he said when asked where he was in the diagram. “I feel like this is what I do best.”

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley would agree. He spoke to the media last week and was delighted with what Murray brings to the defense.

“Well he’s a great man,” Bradley said. “I think that’s what comes out first. He is, what, 240 pounds and can run well. So, it was a surprise in regards to how quickly he takes it. In college this past year, he obviously did a great job defending the run, but you’ve seen him do a lot of things, it was to spy on the quarterback in the pass cover. So the little part of the unknown was how he was going to recover some of the area drops, covers and aspects like that, but he did a really good job picking up that. So he’s progressing well up to this point. I think the bar is moving in the right direction for him.

It was a slow start for the rookie linebacker in the first week of training camp. He faced a bit of pain, so the Chargers coaches wanted to be careful with him.

“I was fine,” Murray said. “It was the coaches who were trying to play it safe. For me it was really frustrating because I’m a guy I hate going out. I hate being away from guys. I don’t feel like I belong when I’m not in the game and not with the guys. Just being outside and having to look from the back hurts me because I’m so fit.

Murray wants to be on the pitch. He showed the second week of training camp how talented he was. He practiced with the starters several times this week and was flying everywhere. When the attack threw the ball, Murray was right there, wrapping his back.

One of the main reasons Brass Bolts loved Murray was his versatility. He doesn’t need to go off the field on the third down when it comes to general passes.

“I feel like I did a decent job,” Murray said. “I really have a long way to go. I am constantly trying to improve myself. At the moment I’m fine, but I certainly have ways to go into this aspect and keep improving every day. But it’s definitely something I’m capable of being elite at.

He’s not yet where he wants to be in this field, but the former Sooner has said he will continue to work.

Usually, in a Gus Bradley defense, they like to show their linebackers different positions. For example, their OTTO contributor will learn MIKE, and so on.

“You know what? We’re trying to really lock him in a linebacker right now,” Bradley explained. “And I think it’s just trying to figure out where he is in the zone drops and in the coverage of passes and things like that and is he a guy (who can do multiple things). Coach (Richard) Smith does a good job with all these guys trying to (say), ‘Hey, the more you can do. ” Like Nick (Vigil) he can play OTTO; he can play MIKE; he can play WILL. And that benefits the players, and I think when you get to know them, that’s what you try to do.

“But at the moment, we’ve kind of locked it up and just so it can have some day-to-day consistency. And we’re moving Denzel (Perryman) and Drue Tranquill just so he can stay put.

The linebacker group was Kyzir White at OTTO, Murray at MIKE and Drue Tranquill at WILL. This could be one of the sportiest support groups the Chargers have had in some time. White, along with Tranquill, are converted safeties, so they can both cover multiple positions in the field. Murray flies all over the field and is a sideline for linebacker.

The Bolts adding Murray make a defense that was already rich, even richer. When he first got there, the rookie said he couldn’t believe all the talent the defense had in front of him on the defensive line.

“I see the big boys in front of me and I laugh,” Murray said. “I’ve never had three or four big boys like this in front of me before. All these guys up front can play ball. Huge guys. They will keep the big boys away from me.

Now Murray’s story has been something very heartwarming for his parents who adopted three children with special needs, Murray saving someone’s life, and now he’s topped it off. Murray recently bought a house for his parents. He said they were moving this weekend.

Murray said he was making a childhood dream come true.

“You grow up and you see your parents making sacrifices so that you can be who you want to be,” he says. “I feel like it was my job to just go out there and be able to put them somewhere nice.”

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