If Cardinals opt for Kyler Murray, Redskins should pursue Josh Rosen

There has been some speculation that the Arizona Cardinals may look to take Kyler Murray early in the 2019 NFL Draft. If they do, the Washington Redskins should try to acquire the team’s 2018 first-round pick, QB Josh Rosen.

Draft speculation season is now upon us, and with it comes one of the best games of connect-the-dots we’ve seen in quite some time. The Cardinals are being linked to Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray with their early pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. While it is far from certain that the team will pursue him, many have pointed out that there are a lot of reasons the Cardinals might just do it.

For starters, the Cardinals offense was terrible last season. They were one of the worst units in the NFL, and Josh Rosen was part of the culprit. The rookie didn’t look ready to be an NFL starter though it’s entirely fair to blame his lack of protection on the offensive line and his less-than-stellar supporting cast. Still, Rosen was prone to mistakes, and there are questions about whether or not he truly loves the game.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury to be their new head coach. Kingsbury at one point said that he would take Murray No. 1 overall last season. Of course, the catch here is that he was coaching at Texas Tech and it’s unlikely that he expected to actually be an NFL head coach. Either way, Kingsbury’s comments plus Murray’s recent decision to hire Kingsbury’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, as his own continues to fuel the fire.

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Of course, this is all just speculation. And the Cardinals tweeted that Kingsbury endorsed Rosen as his guy. But nonetheless, the Cardinals could opt to change their mind and if they do, Rosen would be a hot trade candidate. And he’s certainly on the Redskins should keep an eye on.

At UCLA, Rosen was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. He was at the top of my quarterback big board last season, and I noted his excellent arm talent and clutch ability at the college level. It seemed that he had the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the draft, though there were some attitude concerns regarding him as well as some questions about his passion for football.

Rosen didn’t have a very good rookie season, as he had more interceptions than touchdowns, completed just 55 percent of his passes, and was sacked 45 times. However, as mentioned earlier, he was playing with a dreadful supporting cast and the team changed offensive coordinators midway through the season. So, that certainly could have stunted his growth.

Moving forward, Rosen has upside and should have a chance to be better than every quarterback from the 2019 class. If Rosen does become available, the Redskins should pursue him. They have a need for a young quarterback, but they may not be able to get one at 15. They might have to trade up to get their man of choice or opt to wait on a quarterback. The latter option is more palatable, but if they decide that they’re desperate for quarterback help, offering up the 15th pick for Rosen could have some merit.

Simply put, Rosen is likely better than any quarterback the Redskins can get in this class. So, why not at least consider trading the 15th pick for him? The Cardinals may decide to roll with him, but if not, Rosen would give the team hope at the position. He would compete with Colt McCoy for the starting job and would likely either win it or replace McCoy early on in the season.

Redskins First-Round Option - QB Kyler Murray. dark. Next

As long as the Murray to Arizona talk is around, the Rosen trade talk will be too. It’s likely that nothing comes of this, but the ‘Skins should just check in to see where the Cardinals stand, just in case.

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