If Josh Rosen becomes available and the Redskins could land him, that would be a huge get for the team. Rosen is a young former first-round pick with upside who could be the victim of unprecedented circumstances in Arizona.
During Rosen’s rookie season, the Cardinals struggled to field a competitive team. They surrounded Rosen with minimal talent, had a tough time blocking for him, and changed offensive coordinators midway through the season. Because of this, Rosen struggled to develop, but it certainly wasn’t entirely his fault.
However, this offseason, the Cardinals brought in a new head coach in Kliff Kingsbury. He has spoken highly of Kyler Murray in the past and may want to select him first overall. If that happens, the Cardinals will have to trade Rosen in order to get more assets to field a quality team around Murray. Otherwise, the team would be carrying two quarterbacks with first-round pay grades, and that would make it tough for them to build up their team too much.
Rosen makes a lot of sense for the Redskins. They need a young, cost-controlled, developmental player that could emerge as a franchise quarterback. Rosen was my top-ranked passer in last year’s draft, and he certainly would be in the running for that accolade this year in a weaker class. He would be a perfect option to push Colt McCoy and could really benefit from learning from Alex Smith.
It’s also notable that the Redskins have already expressed interest in Rosen, according to reports.
If Rosen is on the block, the Redskins should do everything they can to get him. They may even consider offering their first-round pick (15th overall) to get him. More likely though, the team would be able to package a second-round pick and maybe a future pick to acquire him. If the latter deal ends up being the cost, they shouldn’t hesitate to make a move.