I Still Believe in Josh Rosen

 

The 2018 quarterback class was full of potential and big names. However, at this point, none may be more interesting than former UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen.

Rosen, 23, was the no.10 overall draft selection in 2018 to the Arizona Cardinals and some analysts felt like he was top-5 talent. In his rookie season Rosen didn't have the greatest showing and his record showed as the Cardinals finished with the worst record in the league which landed them the no.1 overall pick for 2019. He [Rosen] appeared in 14 games completing less than 58 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for his rookie campaign. At the end of the 2018 season things would take an unsuspected turn in Arizona. Head coach Steve Wilks was fired after just one season after the team finished with a 3-13 record.

 The team would hire former Texas Tech head coach, Kliff Kingsburry to replace him. The young, Offensive-minded coach had plans for the team that wouldn't include Rosen, as he [Rosen] would be traded to the Miami Dolphins after the team drafted the Heisman-winning quarterback Kyler Murray.

When he [Rosen] went to the Dolphins it seemed to be a second chance, fresh start, breath of fresh air that was needed for the young quarterback as he still tried to position himself in the league after a disappointing rookie campaign. However, things didn't turn out great for him in Miami either, he would lose the battle for the starting position to veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick after an abysmal start to the season. Behind Rosen, the Dolphins started the season with an 0-6 record. Ryan Fitzpatrick would become the full-time starter and the Dolphins would finish the season with a record of 5-11 and the no.5 overall draft selection for 2020. And just like Arizona the year prior, Miami would draft the best quarterback prospect available selecting Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama.

Now, heading into the 2020 season, I start to wonder where does Rosen fit into the league... Is considered a bust? is he a good talent that has just been dealt a bad hand? Will he ever get the chance to show he was worth taking with the no.10 overall selection in 2018?

There are several teams/situations that I believe Rosen could resurrect his career with, they don't all include immediate playing time either. Well, honestly, most of them don't. I think it's more important that Rosen in a system that fits his strengths and build his confidence back up.

These are several situations I feel would be best for the resurrection of Rosen:

• Atlanta Falcons -- Matt Ryan is nearing the end of his prime and they need a successor to the under-appreciated quarterback. Rosen has a similar build, arm strength and could learn a lot from the former NFL MVP; with the young talent that they have in Atlanta on offense, they wouldn't have to worry about a rebuild for a while and wouldn't have to worry about missing a beat on offense. 
• Pittsburgh Steelers -- People talk about Pittsburgh needing another Ben Roethlisberger, which I believe is one of the many false narratives around the NFL. The Steelers need another good quarterback, they would get that in Rosen. Mike Tomlin hasn't had to worry about the future of his quarterback room until the past two or three years. With Big Ben returning in 2020, after hurting his should in 2019, the Steelers don't need Rosen to start... They just need him in the quarterback room to learn. This would put him [Rosen] in the division with Baker Mayfield and the 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson who were both apart of that famous 2018 quarterback class.
• New England Patriots -- While I do believe that the Patriots are eyeing the 2020 draft for a quarterback. I do believe that this is a great offense for a young quarterback like Rosen to play and learn in. The system helped to build the legacy and legend that is Tom Brady. It could do the same for Josh Rosen, who was a better prospect coming out of high school and college than Tom. I would even argue to say he has better arm talent. This is the only of the three situations that I see Rosen starting and needing to start. 

The future of Josh Rosen is unknown at this point; he is currently the third-string quarterback on the depth chart for the Miami Dolphins, behind Tua and Fitzpatrick. However, I believe that his story is far from over in the National Football League. I still believe Josh Rosen can be a starter in the league. I still believe he can be successful, also.