The Miami Dolphins waited patiently for quarterback Josh Rosen’s value to plummet, and it worked perfectly.
By the end of the second round, the Dolphins fleeced the Arizona Cardinals, who gave up Rosen, last year’s No. 10 overall pick, for the Dolphins’ 62nd overall pick in 2019 and a 2020 fifth-round pick.
Not only did Miami deal a second round pick (already a small sum for Rosen), but it also traded back before making the deal with Arizona. The Dolphins started the day with the 48th overall pick, and dealt that selection to the New Orleans Saints. Eventually, the Dolphin sent their lesser-value second round pick to the Cardinals.
It was a ruthless twist of the knife.
When it came to dealing Rosen, the Cardinals were in a rough spot after selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. It was clear Arizona couldn’t keep Rosen, who had unfollowed the team on social media, which — as silly as it sounds — clearly signaled his discontent with the organization. A divorce was inevitable, which killed the Cardinals leverage and resulted in a huge steal for the Dolphins.
Earlier this offseason, Miami received criticism for dawdling without a signal-caller. Finally, they signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who isn’t a great quarterback, but he was better than Jake Ruddock and Luke Falk, the only other options on the roster. Finally, the patient Dolphins have a clearer picture for the future at quarterback: it’s Rosen.
The wild thing is that if Rosen fails, the Dolphins might end up starting the cycle again. The 2020 NFL Draft boasts a huge number of talented quarterbacks and the Dolphins supposedly like Alabama quarterback Tua Tagvailoa. Could Tagvailoa bump Rosen from Miami, like Murray bumped him from Arizona?
It’s possible.
But let’s not dive too deeply into that rabbit hole. For now, Rosen gets a fresh start and the Dolphins — very savvily — spun the a late second round pick and future fifth-rounder into a player with franchise-quarterback potential.
