Seen enough: Miami Dolphins move on from quarterback Josh Rosen after just one season
Sometimes gambles work.
And sometimes, they get cut on a Friday night after one unremarkable season.
Josh Rosen’s legacy will be the latter, as the Dolphins moved on from the former top-10 quarterback on the eve of NFL cutdown down.
The cost: A second-round pick in 2019, a fifth-round pick this year and a couple million bucks. (The Dolphins already paid Rosen his $1.4 million roster bonus due this year, NFL Network reported).
While it’s easy in retrospect to criticize the Dolphins for a trade that didn’t work out, the Dolphins gave up relatively little for the chance to land a franchise quarterback. Second-round picks historically have a much lower chance of being long-term starters than players selected in Round 1.
The Dolphins, after unsuccessfully trying to trade Rosen in recent days, decided he was not a fit on their 53-man roster, suggesting that Tua Tagovailoa is ready to physically and mentally to play, if needed.
The move leaves Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only two quarterbacks on the Dolphins’ roster, although they will probably add a third on their practice squad Sunday. Jake Rudock has emerged as a strong option; he worked out for the Dolphins on Friday and was on their practice squad last year. (Rosen also could potentially be that guy if he clears waivers and signs with no one.)
Fitzpatrick is on track to be the Dolphins’ Week 1 for the second straight season. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, apparently has answered any questions about his surgically repaired hip in the five weeks since NFL players reported to teams.
Rosen appeared in six games for the Dolphins last year, starting three. He completed just 53.2 percent of his passes and threw five interception to just one touchdown. The Dolphins had a sense early on that he was not their long-term answer, electing to play Fitzpatrick over Rosen for much of the 2019 season.
Word emerged in recent days that the Dolphins were open to moving him, but apparently they could not find a trade partner for a player just two years ago was considered one of the best prospects in college football.
Earlier Friday, Dolphins coach Brian Flores was asked about potentially moving Rosen.
His answer: “I think it’s the day before cut-down day and I think there’s a lot of names that are floating around and we’re fielding calls left and right — or I know [general manager] Chris [Grier] — about Josh and probably a handful of other players, and I think that’s the case across the league.
“As far as Tua, no decisions have been made. We’re going to go out here in practice today and make decisions on the roster tomorrow. But yeah, we’re fielding calls on everybody — well, not everybody but on a handful of players — and I think every team is doing the same thing. But again, Josh has competed. Josh has made some great throws. Josh is, I think he’s gotten better over the course of training camp. That’s where we are with him. Hopefully that answers your question.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 9:06 PM.
