Is the timing right to play young QB?
There’s no question that Josh Rosen should be the starting quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals.
He’s got a strong arm. He can evade the rush. And his teammates praise his command of the huddle and playbook.
The question is this: Should he get the job now?
The offense is shaky. The defense is in flux. And it’s not clear this team has the intangibles needed to win games.
There’s plenty of reason to trust Steve Wilks. He projects confidence, and he’s been consistent in his message, emphasizing time-tested football values such as toughness and playing the
best 11 guys, regardless of pedigree. But the timing of this decision raises concerns about whether it’ll work.
It’s as much about whether the Cardinals are ready for Josh Rosen as it is about whether Josh Rosen is ready for the Cardinals.
Big obstacles
A quarterback needs so many things to be successful that the position probably should be the last box checked on a contending team.
A great signal-caller can’t be shackled by questionable personnel decisions, like having a rookie running back in the game on a vital third down in the fourth quarter. Or keeping your fastest receiver on the sidelines when you need a deep threat.
A great quarterback can be nullified by a porous defense. The Cardinals are allowing nearly 25 points per game. They’re not statistically disruptive with sacks (eight) or takeaways (four). And opponents are converting 45 percent on third down.
Plus, it takes a little good fortune to win in the NFL, but the Cardinals have been among the NFL’s most penalized teams.
There’s enough going on with this team that would make it daunting for any quarterback to step in and excel, much less a rookie piled with hype and expectation.
Wilks said the move is both about what Sam Bradford has shown and what Josh Rosen can show.
“It’s a little of both,” Wilks said. “I’m very pleased and happy with what I think Josh is going to be able to bring to the table. Then again, we just didn’t have a lot of production at that position in the past. Whether it was all on Sam, or whether it was collectively with the offensive line, the receivers, running backs, we all had a hand in it. But, I wanted to make a change, and I think Josh is going to bring something to the table.”
Opportunity and performance
There’s no doubt Rosen throws a great ball. He also has mobility that will open the playbook to boots, waggles and more variations on play-action fakes.
But from here, the biggest concerns are about quality of opportunity and performance. At this point, neither is ideal.
Consider a pair of recent examples: Dak Prescott got a quality opportunity in Dallas two years ago when Tony Romo was hurt in the preseason. He had a great running game, strong pass catchers and a stingy defense.
Prescott played so well that Romo, when he was finally healthy enough to return, had to read a statement handing over the keys to the club. Dallas went 13-3.
Russell Wilson got a quality opportunity in Seattle when coach Pete Carroll declared an open competition in preseason.
Matt Flynn was the anointed guy with the big contract. Tarvaris Jackson was the incumbent. But Wilson’s performance prompted Carroll to say the rookie had won the job as the Day 1 guy.
That year, 2012, Wilson had Marshawn Lynch, an All-Pro that season, at running back and a prime Legion of Boom in the secondary. The Seahawks went 11-5. The next season they won the Super Bowl.
Clear concerns
For Rosen, the difficulties are clear with the team he steps in to lead. And neither his preseason stats nor his play Sunday against the Bears were impressive enough to remove any doubt that this should be his team. He threw an interception against Chicago, and it could have been two, if not for a flag.
The move is so important to the franchise that every step should be taken to put Rosen in position for success, even if that means waiting.
This isn’t saying it won’t work. This isn’t saying it can’t work. For the team and football fans across the state, the hope is that it will work — resoundingly.
Neither Bradford nor Rosen were available in the locker room Monday.
Rosen said on Instagram that Bradford is a “leader, mentor and a great person. He and Mike Glennon couldn’t have been more supportive at a time that I thought might be a bit tense or awkward today.”
Wilks said, “Sam Bradford is a pro. He’s going to do everything he can to help Josh out as he has before.
Here’s hoping it works out — right away — as it has in a few other situations.
But the way this is going is too far from ideal to erase all doubt.