Assuming the Cardinals select Kyler Murray at number one overall, what trade destination would fit Josh Rosen best?
It is a hard day to be Josh Rosen, as the Cardinals continue to keep him guessing about whether they will draft Kyler Murray, and whether he himself will remain on the roster or not. It has probably been a hard few months for Rosen, realistically, but his time swaying in the wind is likely to come to an end soon.
By the time the first two days of the NFL Draft come to a close, Rosen and the rest of the football world will likely know whether he will remain in Arizona or be shipped off to a new NFL team. The question is, where would Rosen have the best chance to succeed? What team should he be pining for the Cardinals to trade him to?
Below are the five teams, in order, that Rosen should be rooting for, locations where he would be set up to succeed and have a great career. These teams should be his preferred destinations because they have one or more of the keys to quarterback success: great coaching, great surrounding cast, and opportunity.
1. New York Giants
The Giants ought to be Rosen’s first choice, for a number of reasons. First of all, they will absolutely be moving on from Manning after this season, when his contract expires. So there will be the best opportunity you can get. Second, they have some key pieces on the offense like Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard, and some youth and upside at offensive line. These players would make his life easier as a quarterback. And they have adequate to good coaching, on a storied franchise with an invested fanbase.
2. New England Patriots
While it is true that Tom Brady might play in the league for 20 more years, more likely he does not buck the age trends for much longer. Rosen would likely get his chance within a couple years. You couldn’t get a better coach than Belichick to be molded by, and he would certainly learn a lot from being around Tom Brady, even if Brady won’t exactly take him under his wing. On top of that, the Patriots always have a solid line and they have some great young running backs to help take the pressure off.