No doubt about it!
Rosen says he can be a franchise quarterback
DAVIE, Fla. — As he embraced a fresh start Monday, Josh Rosen said all the right things, smiled a lot and even cracked a couple of jokes, such as when he noted the phalanx of photographers nearly drowning out his first news conference with the Miami Dolphins.
“These clicks,” he said with a chuckle, “are loud.”
Rosen does attract clicks, which is a big change for a Dolphins team low on star power. It has been so long since they had a Pro Bowl quarterback that Rosen referred to him as “Mr. Marino.”
Despite a rough rookie season that prompted the Arizona Cardinals to discard him, Rosen still believes he can be a Dan Marino-type franchise quarterback. And he’s glad to get an opportunity with the Dolphins, who are eager to stop a revolving door at the position that has gone through 19 starters since Marino’s last game 20 years ago.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be here,” Rosen said. “Very rarely do you get a second chance to make a first impression.”
As for motivation, Rosen’s crooked grin grew wider when he was asked about any chip on his shoulder. “I don’t think my chip has to grow any more,” he said. “I might tip over.”
He was the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft but became expendable in Arizona last week when the Cardinals used the No. 1 overall pick to select Kyler Murray. A day later, the Dolphins acquired him for two draft picks to become part of their rebuilding effort under firstyear coach Brian Flores.
“I felt like I got drafted twice,” he said.
JANIKOWSKI RETIRES
Former Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks kicker Sebastian Janikowski is set to retire after an 18-year career.
Janikowski spent 17 seasons with Oakland before kicking last season with Seattle after signing a oneyear deal.
Janikowski, 41, told ESPN over the weekend he didn’t believe his body could handle kicking in the NFL anymore.
PATS DEAL TE TO SEATTLE
The Seattle Seahawks have acquired tight end Jacob Hollister from the New England Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2020 seventh-round draft pick.
Seattle chose not to address the tight end position in the draft last week. But the Seahawks do need depth there with Will Dissly coming off a patellar tendon tear suffered last season. The Seahawks also have Nick Vannett, Ed Dickson and Tyrone Swoopes on the roster.
Hollister appeared in eight games last season for New England. He’s rarely been a factor in the passing game, with only eight career catches on 16 targets. Hollister was primarily a special teams contributor in New England.
STEELERS ‘CLEANSING’
Losing two superstars isn’t causing Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin any angst.
Quite the opposite, in fact. “There’s been a cleansing, if you will,” he said in an ESPN interview over the weekend, addressing the departure of wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell.
It wasn’t the best word choice, but both players were a headache last season, providing the dreaded “distraction” headlines that coaches so often hate even if those coaches play a role in what’s going on. The Bell and Brown situations, with a helping hand from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, helped propel the Steelers, usually a model franchise, into soap opera territory.
After being franchised, Bell sat out all of the 2018 season rather than going through it a second time, holding out for a long-term contract that never materialized and signing a four-year, $52.5 million deal (with $27 million guaranteed) with the New York Jets. Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders.
Contrasted with the frontoffice breakdown with Bell was Brown’s situation, one that could be laid at least partly at Tomlin’s feet (and Roethlisberger’s) as locker room conditions deteriorated. Brown ended up being disciplined for the regular-season finale after skipping practice and arguing with the quarterback, whose criticisms of teammates were often public.