Josh Rosen 2019 Outlook - Starting Over in South Beach
6 years agoAfter only one season in Arizona, Josh Rosen finds himself starting over. This season, with new coach Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona comes new quarterback Kyler Murray. Rosen was traded not long after Murray was selected and now finds himself in Miami. It is tough to think going to a rebuilding Dolphins team is a step up for anyone. For Rosen though, this is the case.
Even after trading up to get him in the 2018 draft, the Cardinals did nothing to help him along in his rookie year. They forced him in behind a terrible offensive line after only two weeks. They saddled him with Mike McCoy as offensive coordinator. And head coach Steve Wilks ran a league-low 65 plays per game. If Rosen were more athletic, maybe this would have been OK, but Rosen is a pure pocket passer, not a runner.
He will be going to a team in rebuild mode and is still only 22 years old, meaning he could be a player they build around. Players like Kenny Stills, Devante Parker, Mike Gesicki and Kenyan Drake, while not stars, are solid enough to help him progress in his career. Ryan Fitzpatrick is also there to mentor him for at least a season and provide competition.
If he is able to beat out Fitzpatrick for the starting job in Miami, he could be a somewhat usable fantasy quarterback. This means a solid backup or a second QB in two-quarterback leagues. In redraft he is more of a streamer in a week with a good matchup. There are 20 or so quarterbacks who you could make a case for to draft in your fantasy league. If Ryan Fitzpatrick wins the Dolphins, he would be one of them. If Rosen wins the job though, he is still likely not someone who should be drafted. In dynasty leagues, if you can get him for cheap, he may be a good stash. If he pans out, you have the starter for an NFL team going forward. If not? He goes somewhere else and may find his way. The key is don’t give up on him for the future.