Quarterback Rosen reportedly on trading block
Josh Rosen’s stay in South Florida could be coming to a close this weekend if the Miami Dolphins get a favorable trade offer.
According to ESPN, the Dolphins are fielding offers for the former UCLA standout that Miami traded a second- and fifth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for during the 2019 offseason.
A major indicator that a move might be made this weekend was the fact Jake Rudock, who spent last season as Miami’s practicesquad quarterback, was at the facility getting tested for COVID-19, which is a precursor to him being signed. Rudock, who was released at the start of training camp, had previously undergone a COVID-19 test but wasn’t signed.
The Dolphins likely won’t get much for Rosen, who has started 16 games the previous two seasons, throwing for 2,845 yards with 12 touchdowns and 19 interceptions while completing 54.8 percent of his passes.
Rosen has won just three of the 13 games he started — and none of them were from the three games he started early last season with the Dolphins as he struggled and was eventually replaced.
Rosen, who is competing with Tua Tagovailoa to serve as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s primary backup, might intrigue some teams looking to upgrade their backup spot because his age (23) hints he still
possesses some upside. He could improve working with a team willing to be patient with him.
Rosen, a 2018 first-round pick, has the best arm in Miami’s camp, and possesses a pedigree that could motivate some teams to send Miami a third-day draft pick — or a player who would address an immediate need.
Rosen doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer for the Dolphins because Tagovailoa, a former Alabama standout who the Dolphins used the fifth pick to select, has shown a better mastery of the offense during his brief tenure in Miami.
Tagovailoa appears to be fully recovered from the hip injury that
cut his collegiate career short, and throws with better accuracy and anticipation than Rosen.
“My peace right now is in my development as a quarterback, and I feel like that’s been going in a positive direction and that’s why I feel good about where I am right now,” Rosen said earlier in camp. “I was drafted in the first round and I think around the league, people still think I can play to a certain extent. Whenever that opportunity comes, wherever it comes, I just want to be prepared for it because they are few and far between, and I didn’t do great with the two [starting opportunities] that I already had.
“Not many people get third chances, so I’m definitely going to seize the opportunity when it comes.”
Rosen’s salary is a bargain when it comes to backup quarterbacks as he’s slated to earn $2.1 million in 2020 and $2.9 million in 2021. Both years of those deals are guaranteed because of his rookie contract, and any team that trades for him could opt into a fifth year of his rookie deal. But that’s unlikely unless he establishes himself as a top-tier starter before next May, which is when a decision on the fifth-year option is required.
Trading Rosen would force the Dolphins to add another quarterback, either to the 53-man roster or the practice squad. But plenty will likely become available on Saturday at 4 p.m., when teams trim their training camp rosters from 80 to 53 players.
“Hopefully, this year, here, I’ll get a shot to play,” Rosen said. “But I’m just trying to focus on preparing for that shot as best as I can. That’s within my control and I’m actually pretty satisfied with how I’ve come out and played this training camp….I really think I’m sort of trending in the right direction.”