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The offseason is the time for rumors in the NFL, and few are bigger in 2019 than the one surrounding the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback situation. Long s tory short: there is speculation that the club, led by new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, wants to go after Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the draft — one year after picking Josh Rosen with the 10th selection in the first round.
If Arizona indeed drafts Murray, Rosen might enter the trade market as a high-upside quarterback option with 13 games worth of starting experience in the league. One of the teams believed to be in the market for the 22-year old are the New England Patriots, who still have Tom Brady leading their offense at the highest level but who might be looking for a longer-term option to one day take over for the greatest of all time.
While the idea of the world champions going after Rosen in case the Cardinals want to part ways with him is an intriguing one — as outlined by colleague Mark Schofield yesterday — it is still little more than speculation at this point in time. That being said, oddsmakers feel rather confident that the Patriots will be in play if the quarterback does hit the trade market later this year. According to BetOnline, only two teams have better odds at ending up with Rosen:
Washington Redskins: 3/1
Miami Dolphins: 5/1
New England Patriots: 6/1
Both of the clubs ahead of New England make sense as theoretical landing spots for Rosen: they are likely in need of a quality starting quarterback with the futures of Alex Smith and Ryan Tannehill very much in doubt, and they have sufficient draft capital for a potential move. Again, it all depends on what the Cardinals plan to do regarding Kyler Murray, but in the event of the Sooners quarterback going one overall, those three clubs should be kept an eye on.
“If the QB is truly available, he might be the best option for the Patriots to address the quarterback position behind Brady this offseason has to offer,” Mark wrote about Rosen on Tuesday — and while it may or may not remain a pipe dream, it is nevertheless a thought worth entertaining during the offseason.