During the second day of the 2019 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins only made one selection but were one of the more active teams. They entered the night holding two picks, the 48th and 78th overall picks. General Manager Chris Grier was a busy man on the phones working with other teams to make a deal.
The first trade happened when the Dolphins were on the clock. The deal, reported by Field Yates of ESPN, was the 48th and 116th pick in exchange with the New Orleans Saints for the 62nd and 202nd pick, as well as, a 2020 second-round selection. The trade pointed towards the off-season trend of rebuilding the core of the franchise through the draft by keeping the same amount of picks but adding to the team’s plentiful amount of 2020 picks.
Josh Rosen Trade Shows Dolphins Management Is Willing To Try to Find Their Franchise Quarterback
The second trade of the night is when things got really interesting. The trade, reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, saw the Dolphins send the 62nd overall pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for quarterback Josh Rosen, the tenth pick in the 2018 draft. The trade sent shock waves around the NFL, especially the Dolphins fanbase.
The Chosen Rosen?
All off-season the word “tank” was thrown around. The Dolphins staff denounced it and said it was more of a necessary rebuild. Does adding Rosen change the franchise’s rebuild? No. There are still too many holes on the roster that need to be filled. Does it change the franchise’s stance on obtaining a franchise quarterback? According to a piece by Dolphins beat writer Cameron Wolfe at ESPN, that answer is also no. Head Coach Brian Flores is not ready to anoint Rosen the franchise guy just yet. “You have to earn the right to get that kind of label,” said Flores when asked about the trade.
What Does Flores Mean?
The Dolphins are operating in a completely new fashion this off-season. This includes trading or releasing valuable veterans, bargain shopping in free agency, and putting the importance of building through the draft to the forefront of creating a long, sustained winning team. But what was unknown was how Miami would attack the quarterback position. The trade for Rosen signaled a whole new way of business for the Dolphins. The move shows Miami is putting resources into acquiring the right guy, finding that franchise quarterback. And guess what? Piling up on 2020 picks shows the willingness to attack the position again next year, if needed.
Finding the Right Guy
The Dolphins spent the eighth overall pick in 2012 on quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Since then, and before the Rosen trade, the team has spent one pick on a quarterback. That pick came in 2016 when they drafted Brandon Doughty in the seventh round. The new regime, based on actions, disagrees with that order of business.
The new regime took only a few months to attack the position of quarterback. They moved on from the top three quarterbacks on the roster, signed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, and dealt for Rosen. They believe Rosen can be the guy but are not putting all their chips in the pot on the former UCLA signal caller. Many people say teams should draft a quarterback every year until they find the right guy. The previous regime did not think that was the correct order of business, but this regime clearly does. Granted, Rosen was not drafted this year, but he is entering his second season in the NFL.
This is an encouraging course of action for a team and fan base who has spent the last two decades looking for their next Dan Marino.
Last Word
It is clear Miami will work with Rosen and try to develop him into their franchise guy. The tone of coach Flores does not signal a handing over of the keys, but instead indicates the trade was at the right value for the Dolphins.
Main Photo
