Getty Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins and moves to the top of their depth chart.
Just one year going off the board as the 10th overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals, Josh Rosen finds himself on the way out. New head coach Kliff Kingsbury took QB Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the draft, all but sealing Rosen’s fate in Arizona. Heading to Miami, Rosen gets a fresh start and an opportunity to show why he was such a highly touted prospect in a QB heavy draft last season.
Despite a tough season in the Arizona desert, Rosen didn’t have much help around him. With an atrocious offensive line, a struggling running attack (even David Johnson could only muster 3.6 YPC behind that line), and only Larry Fitzgerald functioning as a competent receiver, Rosen wasn’t given the proper situation to succeed. While Miami is far from the best team in the league, they at least offer Rosen a better offensive line and some actual receiving weapons to try and take advantage of.
Dolphins Depth Chart: Josh Rosen Trade Impact on Quarterback Position
The Dolphins went out and signed Ryan Fitzpatrick in free agency, however, Rosen should get every opportunity to win the starting job and play every game. Fitzpatrick is on a very team-friendly deal and Rosen is still on his rookie contract, making keeping both extremely feasible from a financial standpoint. Fitzpatrick has served as a backup in the NFL for years and should have no problem coming off the bench and helping to mentor the young Rosen. At 36 years old, few other men have been in the NFL longer than Fitzpatrick and his journeyman experience should help with Rosen’s development tremendously.
Behind Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins currently have Jake Rudock and Luke Falk. Rudock is heading into his fourth year and was recently waived by the Lions while Falk is heading into his second year after being let go by the Titans. As the Dolphins break camp, expect Rudock and Falk to battle it out for the third string QB spot behind Rosen and Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins likely won’t carry more than three quarterbacks, so the loser of the competition should be finding himself a new job.
Does Josh Rosen Improve the Miami Dolphins at Quarterback?
While Rosen will almost certainly get an immediate crack at the starting job, he also gives the Dolphins the best chance to win. While Ryan Fitzpatrick is known for electric play at times, Fitzpatrick is extremely inconsistent and prone to single-handedly losing just as many games as his electric play wins (if not more). A true gunslinger, Fitzpatrick trusts his arm and is unafraid to make any throw. While Fitzpatrick’s floor is much lower compared to Rosen, the best case scenario with a 36 Fitz at the helm would likely be a six or seven win season.
More importantly, Rosen isn’t as bad as his first year in Arizona would indicate. A big, strong-armed prospect with great football IQ, Rosen simply needs an offensive line that can help keep him upright. With a number of quality receiving options to throw to in Miami on top of a much better line, Rosen could be due for an impressive breakout season. With Rosen, there is a chance he reaches the potential that the Cardinals saw when they took him 10th overall last year and the Dolphins find themselves a franchise quarterback.
Winning six or seven games a year is basically football purgatory, so expect the Dolphins to roll the dice on Rosen and get him plenty of looks early and often.