Assessing Redskins quarterback options: Is Josh Rosen a franchise QB?
By Ian Cummings
How Josh Rosen fits the Redskins
The Redskins might need a rebuild, but they aren’t going to get it. Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen are in win-now mode every year, and Jay Gruden isn’t coaching with long-term goals in mind, either. He needs to win to keep his job, and he’s reportedly entered the offseason with that kind of fire.
Of course, to win now, the Redskins need a quarterback, and a quarterback that they won’t have to groom. The ideal fit is an albeit young quarterback who’s cheap, has some experience, and has upside. In that case, Josh Rosen fits the Redskins needs, both objective and ulterior, perfectly.
Josh Rosen is a quarterback who can run Washington’s west coast system effectively. Gruden’s route concepts mesh well with Rosen’s strengths, and Rosen has the sneaky mobility to run other staples of Gruden’s scheme well, like play action rollouts and read-pass options. Rosen, in a sense, is the quarterback Gruden has wanted Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith to be. He can execute the offense efficiently, but Gruden won’t have to beg Rosen to take deep shots; Rosen’s aggressive mindset takes care of that.
The biggest question surrounding Rosen’s fit pertains to the personnel. It’s hard not to be an upgrade from the cast that Arizona trotted out with a limp last year, but the Redskins do have some work to do to give Rosen the best tools. The offensive line, while good on paper, has a hole at left guard, and multiple starters are coming back from injury-riddled campaigns. The receiving core, meanwhile, leaves something to be desired, and at tight end, the duo of Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis is one that lacks reliability.
As a player, Rosen would fit well with the Redskins, and he’d likely mask various deficiencies of his supporting cast, like he did at UCLA, and in flashes with the Cardinals. He’s what Jay Gruden wants and needs at quarterback. The only question is, can they make his transition as painless and seamless as possible, for the right price?