In a span of 12 months, the Miami Dolphins have seen quarterback Josh Rosen transition from being the hopeful answer to all of the team’s quarterback problems to a complete afterthought. Now, Dolphins fans are heavily dialed into every move made by the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tua Tagovailoa.
With Tagovailoa in-house, what the Dolphins ultimately choose to do with Rosen will be a fascinating sub-plot for the team. After all, Rosen is just two years removed from being a top-10 overall selection himself. And given the circumstances Rosen has had to play in (rebuilding efforts in both Arizona and Miami), someone might still think Rosen has something to offer.
Could that team be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? The team booted Jameis Winston this offseason in favor of Tom Brady; but the don’t have a long-term option on the roster. Perhaps Rosen can be that guy? That’s the suggestion of Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, who is proposing a deal between the Dolphins and Buccaneers that would send Rosen up the gulf coast.
“Tampa is firmly in win-now mode after pairing Bruce Arians with Tom Brady, then luring Rob Gronkowski out of retirement. But if the Dolphins are dangling Rosen (and why wouldn’t they be?), Jason Licht would assuredly remind Arians that he’s still got to keep at least one eye on the future. Current Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was Rosen’s interim OC during his rookie year in Arizona, Rosen is exactly the kind of heady pocket passer who could learn from Brady, and Tampa has not a single developmental QB in the pipeline. Evans is expendable now that Antoine Winfield Jr. is in town, and he’d at least make for a low-risk, high-reward addition to Brian Flores’ defensive backfield, where Minkah Fitzpatrick’s old spot could still use help.” – Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports
Benjamin’s actual trade swap is as follows:
Tampa Bay receives QB Josh Rosen
Miami receives SAF Justin Evans, 2021 5th-Round pick
While Evans might not be the play for Miami in a deal (tackling issues are aplenty, which risk to run Brian Flores up a wall), a player for player swap may well be Miami’s best chance to get a viable return on investment for Rosen if the team is ready to move on. Of course, there’s no shame in keeping Rosen around on his cheap deal either and utilizing him as a back-up to Tagovailoa in the long-term. The Dolphins just need to decide which avenue offers them more value.
