Josh Rosen’s days in the desert appear to be numbered.
The Arizona Cardinals, who selected Rosen with the 10th overall pick last year, took reigning Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray with the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Rosen remains a Cardinal for now, but it’s tough to imagine Arizona will enter the upcoming season with both quarterbacks on its roster.
The trade market for the 22-year-old became a bit clearer Thursday, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the Cardinals had been in talks with both the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. But as more reports began to surface, a frontrunner seemingly has emerged.
The Giants effectively are out of the Rosen sweepstakes, as New York selected Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick Thursday night. The Dolphins, meanwhile, opted against addressing the QB position with their top pick, instead drafting Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins at No. 13.
A Rosen deal makes all the sense in the world for Miami. The UCLA product still has tremendous upside and would require less grooming time than a rookie signal-caller. And given the perceived minimal competition in pursuit of Rosen, the Dolphins might not have to splurge in order to acquire him.
As for Rosen himself, he seems to be bracing for a new home. As folks at NFL Network noticed Friday, he unfollowed the Cardinals on both Instagram and Twitter.
