Miami Dolphins should keep Josh Rosen beyond 2020

There has been plenty of speculation over Miami Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen’s future in recent weeks and the team should hold onto him for as long as possible.

With the selection of Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, it was clear that Josh Rosen‘s future with the Miami Dolphins was in question.

Rosen, originally selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2018 Draft, was traded to the Dolphins when the Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray to be their new face of the franchise just one year later.

The Dolphins gave up a second-round pick (62nd overall) in 2019 and a fifth-round pick (153rd overall) in 2020. The Dolphins regained the 2020 pick in the trade that sent Kenyan Drake out to the desert, ultimately trading it to the San Francisco 49ers for running back Matt Breida.

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Giving up even just a second-round pick for a quarterback indicates a team’s belief that they can become something in the NFL, potentially being the long-term solution at the most important position on the team.

The addition of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick put Rosen in a position to learn the game and potentially take over the starting job, with no real idea of whether or not the team would still target one of the top passers coming out of the draft the following year.

Rosen, unfortunately, was poor behind the worst offensive line in the league. In just three starts for the Dolphins, the former UCLA Bruin completed just 53.2% of pass attempts, throwing for 567 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions on route to an 0-3 record.

This saw the wily veteran Fitzpatrick resume the starting role, which he eventually looked more assured in by the end of the season, seeing the Dolphins win five games in the process.

With Tagovailoa suffering an injury that knocked his draft stock, seeing him no longer viewed as the top prospect in the draft, the Dolphins clearly worked hard to ensure they landed the new face of the franchise with the fifth pick.

Now that the Alabama product is on the roster, rumours have begun to swirl around the Dolphins receiving calls on the young quarterback.

Rosen has not had much stability in his career, dating back to his days in college, having different coaches and coordinators around him and already having suited up for two different teams in his first two seasons at the professional level.

The 2020 season will see a new offensive coordinator arrive in Miami in Chan Gailey, giving Rosen yet another playbook to learn.

But the difference between Gailey arriving and Rosen potentially being traded is that he is already more familiar with the team around him.

Rosen may very well have the potential to be a starter in this league, but right now he figures to be a solid backup option that many teams would covet to add depth to their line-up.

Value of a Backup QB

One team that should seriously value Rosen higher in this regard, is the Dolphins. Tagovailoa may be the heir apparent, but he’s at least another year away from truly taking the reins.

Keeping Rosen around would provide the Miami Dolphins with a young, experienced backup option that could come in right away and compete to prove his worth to the organisation.

Fitzpatrick turns 38 years old in November and his future beyond the 2020 season may likely lie elsewhere, unless he can somehow continue to slow the effects of father time.

If the Dolphins decide to hand over the keys to the kingdom to Tagovailoa right out of the gate in 2020 but don’t keep Fitzpatrick around, then there would be a significant hole that would need to be filled if Rosen was also allowed to leave.

Keeping Rosen around, having him compete openly and fairly in 2020, perhaps even pushing Fitzpatrick if the veteran doesn’t continue his impressive showing from last year, it could benefit the team in the long-run to have him around.

Tagovailoa’s injury history should also be playing on the minds of the team’s hierarchy, with the backup position arguably having a higher value than ever before in this situation.

Keeping Rosen around to be a dependable backup could even potentially increase his value, which is considered to be at an all-time low right now.

Retaining the asset, improving his value and potentially receiving a better return on him a couple of years from now maybe in the best interests of the team.

All eyes will be on the Miami Dolphins quarterback position over the next season or two and Rosen should certainly be a factor to provide depth and stability that he himself has not yet been afforded.