If you need a quarterback, trade for the former first round pick immediately.
It’s amazing just how fast things can change in the NFL. At this time last April, Josh Rosen was in the running to be the number one pick. Rosen ended up going to the Arizona Cardinals at #10. Now, Rosen might be traded to another team.
With reports that Kyler Murray will be selected with the first pick of the draft, it seems as if Rosen’s time in Arizona will come to an end after one season. It’s crazy that the Cardinals are going to give up on their first round pick from a year ago, but hiring Kliff Kingsbury, who wants to run an up-tempo offense, means that the Cardinals will want an explosive, playmaking quarterback that could thrive in his system just like Patrick Mahomes did at Texas Tech. Whether you agree with the decision or not is not important. The biggest takeaway is that if the Cardinals believe Murray is their quarterback of the future, then they must part ways with Rosen.
Naturally, the next question would revolve around Rosen’s trade value. What’s the market for Rosen? What can the Cardinals receive for the former first round pick? According to Peter King, a GM told King that they would probably give a third round pick for Rosen. “Not what the Cardinals would think his value is,” said the GM. Keep in mind that the Cardinals traded a 3rd round pick and a 5th round pick in last year’s draft to move up five spots to take Rosen.
With all that being said, if your team has either an aging quarterback who will be out of the league in a few years or no future quarterback at all, trading for Josh Rosen should be a priority. There’s a reason why Rosen was such a coveted quarterback prospect. Rosen is a 6’4″, 218 pound QB-that is a pure pocket passer with outstanding arm talent. When given time, Rosen has the ability to pick defenses apart at will.
Rosen is not perfect. He’s not very mobile so when the pocket collapses, he has difficult escaping pressure. However, Rosen deserves to be cut a lot of slack because of the Cardinals’ horrendous offensive line, which was ranked last by Pro Football Focus in 2018. Speaking of inconsistency, Rosen has had a different offensive coordinator for the last 4 years dating back to his time at UCLA. Imagine if Rosen had some stability in his career.
If Rosen gets anything close to a stable offensive line, he has the potential to be a starting quarterback in this league for a long time. Plus, you can’t beat his team-friendly contract of 3 years, $6.2 million with a player option in 2022. Teams should be lining up to trade for Rosen. The Chargers, Saints, and Patriots are three teams with veteran QBs that could mentor Rosen for the next year or 2 before turning over the keys to the kingdom. The Giants and Dolphins are in the market for quarterbacks so trading for Rosen would be in their best interest. Don’t count out the Redskins as well despite trading for Case Keenum.
Josh Rosen is going to make one team very happy in a few weeks. I believe that the asking price for Rosen will increase as the draft draws closer. If you’re a team with a late first round pick or an early 2nd round pick, you need to make an offer for Josh Rosen. Between his size, arm, and contract, if you’re an NFL team who needs a QB1 of the future, trading for Rosen is a no-brainer.