The NFL Scouting Combine officially kicked off Wednesday morning and amidst a flurry of press conferences for each team’s General Manager, Cardinals GM Steve Keim addressed the media with an update on the team’s quarterback situation.
Per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Keim responded to a question surrounding the job security of their current franchise quarterback Josh Rosen, selected No. 10 overall in last year’s draft. When asked if Rosen is the Cardinals No. 1 signal-caller on the depth chart, Keim answered despondently; “Yeah, he is right now for sure.”
That doesn’t sound like an esteemed vote of confidence for the former UCLA Bruin who threw for an accumulated 9,300 yards and 59 touchdowns over his three-year tenure as the Bruins’ starting quarterback.
Cardinals’ GM Steve Keim, asked today by reporters if Josh Rosen is Arizona’s quarterback? “Yeah, he is right now for sure.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2019
Since then, things have not gone in Rosen’s favor. He turned the ball over with his arm 14 times, while only getting into the end zone 11 times in his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
This leaves further imagination in the minds of Cardinals fans to believe that their organization may pull the plug on the Josh Rosen project in order to draft Kyler Murray. Newly appointed head coach and former Texas Tech play-caller Kliff Kingsbury speculated during his time at Tech that if it were up to him, he would select Murray with the first overall pick in a heartbeat.
This news certainly stirs the pot a little bit. First, two teams have emerged as possible trade partners with the Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots will need a new quarterback in the future, and Rosen could be the guy for the both of them since both of their starters are nearing retirement.
The Steelers have a big trade asset in Antonio Brown, and he could be the quintessential piece that moves the Steelers from the No. 10 slot to the first team on the clock come April’s opening night of the 2019 NFL Draft. The NFL Draft is less than two months away and until then speculation and predictions on what the Cardinals will do with the first overall pick will ensue.