Rosen trade is a result of mismanagement by Cardinals and Dolphins

So, according to multiple sources, including Jason La Canfora, it looks as though Josh Rosen is potentially going to the Miami Dolphins after being forced out of Arizona for a second round draft pick. That sounds like a pretty good deal for the Dolphins considering that the Arizona Cardinals have already paid Rosen his bonus, so they’re picking up a first round quarterback for six million dollars over three years.

Before we analyse whether or not this is a great move for the Dolphins, or even Rosen, let’s have a look at the mess Arizona made of this situation.

First, they draft Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 Draft. They then went 3-13 over the season with Rosen starting thirteen of those, including the three wins.

He played behind an offensive line that allowed him to get sacked an inordinate amount of times (six in one game against the Broncos, where he also had three interceptions and two fumbles), played for two head coaches, both of which seemed only capable of calling plays which involved smashing David Johnson up the back of the offensive line, like a child trying to shove the wrong damp jigsaw piece in to an equally damp jigsaw puzzle.

I, personally, put no blame on Rosen for the mess in Arizona last season. I know the NFL is a cut throat league, and when you mess up, you’re done, but did anyone expect him to get anything done with that offensive line and those coaches? Really?

Then, at the end of the season we hear the new head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, is considering taking a new direction with the team and bringing in Kyler Murray, as is his right. He’s the head coach and had nothing to do with last year’s mess, so you can’t really blame him; fair enough, you want a clean slate, new direction, new momentum, a new face for the franchise. I get it.

But the way they’ve gone about doing it is terrible. Firstly, they came out and said, “No, Josh is our guy,” which everyone and their pet new was a lie, in order to hike up his value, but no one bit on their valuation of a first round pick for him, and why would they? When you’re the first on the board, and you pick Kyler Murray, they know you’re going to have to ship Rosen out for whatever you can get, and that’s exactly what’s happening. They should have got Rosen out of the building first and then drafted. If nothing but respect for Rosen.

I do understand the reasons for Kingsbury to want to move on. Kingsbury is a very free-flowing, open-minded, imaginative sort of coach; he will give you a couple of reads and then let the players play, and Kyler Murray is a very instinctive player – he knows when to run, when to pass, and when to just sit down.

To me, Josh Rosen is more formulaic player; he likes to dot the Is, cross the Ts, know his progressions inside out, know his reads, his schemes, his system… and that’s just not Kliff Kingsbury.

But neither are the Dolphins.

The Dolphins don’t have a formulated offense – they’re not in a position to let Rosen learn, develop, and grow. They need someone now. They have a first-time defensive head coach that hasn’t built an offense, and likely won’t leave Rosen in any better a position than Arizona did. Is it going to happen again next season when it all falls apart and the Dolphins decide to pick up Tua Tagovailoa (even his name suits them) and ship Rosen out for playing badly in an offense with no options?

I feel as though this is destined to happen.

After that, someone will get him for a steal. Someone will think as I have, and that he’s been thrust in to bad offenses and made to carry them with no experience, no help, no encouragement, and no support.

He would have been better off with the Steelers, or the Chargers, or the Patriots, where he’d get to sit behind a veteran of immense quality, learn, evolve, and grow.

If the Dolphins do take him, don’t be shocked if he has another terrible year before getting traded to one of those teams for a 6th round pick, where he will hide for three years, and then emerge to lead the franchise for ten.