Rosen will be the Cardinals’ Week One starter and, then, he’ll go on to distinguish himself as an NFL star.
Courtesy: AP Photo/David J. Phillip
As OTAs begin it’s time to look at rookie impacts on the upcoming NFL season. I believe that one player–former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen–has the tools and is in the right situation to achieve success during his rookie year.
One thing stands out: Rosen’s intelligence. Football scouts conclude that it’s difficult to comprehend just how smart Rosen is on the football field. One example is how quickly Rosen picks up offensive schemes. He reportedly learned the UCLA playbook just three days into his freshman year. Rosen seemed like a four-year senior behind center that year.
That’s why there’s so much optimism about Rosen. Typically, college quarterbacks need significant time to understand and orchestrate an NFL offense. But that may not be the case with Rosen. If true, then he’ll be well ahead of his 2018 QB draft peers.
There are Rosen’s other traits–four, to be specific.
The situation in Arizona works to Rosen’s advantage, too. Typically, NFL teams that draft a quarterback in the top 10 don’t have a roster that can ‘win now.’ The Cardinals are different. Arizona has one of the League’s top running backs in David Johnson, and a still-efficient receiver in Larry Fitzgerald. On the defensive end, Chandler Jones, Patrick Peterson, and others populate an above-average unit.
Furthermore, Rosen doesn’t face a lot of QB competition like fellow rookies Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield do. They have to outperform veteran quarterbacks (like Tyrod Taylor for Allen) to become a starter. Yes, Rosen has to outperform Mike Glennon and Sam Bradford, but that seems doable.
I think Rosen has a realistic shot of becoming the team’s starter before the season starts.
If Josh Rosen can separate himself from Cardinals’ competitors in the off-season and pre-season, he’ll be the Week One starter. Furthermore, I predict Rosen has the intangibles, the physique, and team around him to become a successful player early-on in his NFL career.
