What Jersey Will Josh Rosen Put on Next?

Story posted March 18, 2019 in CommRadio, Sports by Andrew Destin

The desert collaboration of quarterback Kyler Murray and former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury is the worst kept secret in the NFL. Media reports have stated that the Arizona Cardinals intend to use their No. 1 overall pick on the Heisman trophy winner, bypassing edge rushers Josh Allen and Nick Bosa. While Murray is a generational athlete, albeit vertically challenged, the Cardinals already have themselves a franchise quarterback in second-year player Josh Rosen. If Arizona does indeed select Murray, it seems obvious that the team would move their 2018 draft pick. The question is: where to?

While the team from Washington did recently trade for quarterback Case Keenum, it’s obvious to everyone in the greater D.C. area that the Houston grad is not the long-term answer. Keenum is entering the last year of his contract, and with the recent leg injury to Alex Smith, there is no concrete answer to the quarterback issues. The team could look to the draft to address its quarterback issues, but that would require trading up, as Washington sits at 15th in the draft. Unless the team feels confident in some of the lower ranked quarterbacks in the draft like Drew Lock and Daniel Jones.

Further south lies the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that has put its faith in former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. The Florida State graduate has demonstrated immense arm strength and precision at times during his career on the gulf, but off field transgressions have forced him to miss playing time and lose the trust of the team. Although still only 25 years old, it has to be considered whether the franchise will be moving on from their talented, yet immature leader.

Although seemingly satisfied with the “Red Rifle” that is Andy Dalton, the Cincinnati Bengals have underperformed under the direction of the former TCU and Rose Bowl-winning quarterback. While he has accumulated decent career numbers of a 62.3 completion percentage and 188 touchdowns, it must be noted that Dalton has been lucky enough to play with such skill position players as wide receiver A.J. Green and running back Giovanni Bernard. Coming off an injury-plagued season, the clock is certainly ticking for Dalton in the Queen City.

Music City is another possible destination for the UCLA star. Marcus Mariota has had his fair share of struggles for the Tennessee Titans. Eclipsing 20 touchdowns in a season only once, health concerns and inconsistent overall play has led to the firing of coaches and management during the Mariota era. The AFC South is becoming a much stronger conference recently, with quarterbacks Andrew Luck, DeShaun Watson and Nick Foles leading the charge for the other three teams in the division. If the Titans are going to press the reset button, Rosen may be the way to go.

Many teams in the NFL are satisfied with the quarterback position, yet there are other teams such as the New York Giants that may look to the draft for a new leader on offense. With Murray leading a quarterback that also includes Ohio State sensation Dwayne Haskins, there are a few options available to teams that don’t involve giving up assets via trade. However, if the Cardinals are to have a surplus at quarterback assuming they draft Rosen, these four teams are all viable landing spots for one of the most heralded quarterbacks in the PAC-12.

 

 

Andrew Destin is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ajd6360@psu.edu.