Bill Belichick Could Have His Post-Tom Brady QB in a Trade for Josh Rosen
By Jason McIntyre
The news that the Cardinals are seriously interested in Kyler Murray and could draft him 1st overall opens the possibility of Arizona trading away their 2018 1st round pick, Josh Rosen.
The obvious landing spot? New England. Bill Belichick would jump at the chance to get his post-Tom Brady QB. There were rumors Belichick liked Rosen before last year’s draft. Rosen is on his rookie contract for four more years. Belichick lost a power struggle over Jimmy Garoppolo, and traded him for next to nothing. Now he’s got a war chest of picks to dangle to the Cardinals for Rosen – three picks in the first 64, and possibly four more compensatory picks to come.
Everyone knows that Belichick loves to unload players who are in line for a big pay-day – Danny Amendola, Jamie Collins, Richard Seymour, Lawyer Milloy (whom he cut), Wes Welker, etc – and the Cardinals are devoid of talent. What about some multi-draft pick package and players who New England would have to pay in 2019 or 2020, like Trey Flowers (the same way they dealt Chandler Jones to the Cardinals in 2016) and Kyle Von Noy (former 2nd round pick)?
Rosen’s value isn’t exactly through the roof after an ugly rookie year (55 percent completions; 11 TDs, 14 INTs, dead last in DVOA among QBs; dead last in Total QBR; and dead last in QB rating), making him the perfect guy for Belichick to chase. He’s obviously talented, and just turned 22 this week.
Of course, its not a given the Cardinals would trade Rosen. Arizona GM Steve Keim has been in place since January 2013 and in his six drafts, he’s selected just two QBs: Logan Thomas (currently a tight end in Buffalo) and Rosen. Keim has whiffed badly in the 1st round:
2013 Jonathan Cooper, 7th
2014 Deone Bucannon, 27th
2015 DJ Humphries, 24th
2016 Robert Nkemdiche, 29th
2017 Haason Reddick, 13th
2018 Josh Rosen, 10th
None have distinguished themselves yet, though Bucannon has had a strong start to his career. And to be fair, Keim put together a veteran-laden team that went to the NFC title game in January 2016 behind Carson Palmer. Keim probably has one more year left, so why not swing of the fences with Murray, and hope that he is a quick study in the system Kliff Kingsbury will be running.
The 1st overall pick seems high right now, but we had Murray going 4th in our mock draft. As the next two months play out, maybe the Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner vaults into the discussion to go 1st overall.
And then, expect Bill Belichick to be the vulture circling, looking to pluck Rosen out of the bargain basement rack.