Fox analyst makes Josh Rosen-Warren Moon comparison for Cardinals
Apr 27, 2018, 4:04 PM | Updated: 4:07 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
New Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen received high praise and a lofty comparison from another national figure.
Fox NFL analyst Charles Davis told Bickley & Marotta on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station that Rosen reminds him of Warren Moon.
“Smooth thrower, can throw any ball you want, it’s a gorgeous ball and receivers love it because he has a touch, he has the anticipation,” Davis said.
They have similar size: Rosen is 6-foot-4, 218 pounds and Moon was 6-foot-3, 221 pounds.
Davis even mentioned they both had doubters – Rosen felt slighted after falling to No. 10 in the draft, saying he’ll make the nine teams that passed on him regret it.
“Warren Moon had to go to Canada cause they weren’t playing black quarterbacks then,” Davis said.
Once Moon was allowed in the NFL, he played for 23 years and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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He thinks the Cardinals got lucky the Cleveland Browns took cornerback Denzel Ward at No. 4 overall. By doing so, the Denver Broncos could select defensive end Bradley Chubb, who many had expected to go to the Browns at No. 4 instead of Ward.
Davis said the Broncos may have been working out a deal with the Bills. Or maybe, John Elway wanted to take a quarterback himself.
“I think Josh Rosen would have been the target for him,” Davis said.
Instead, the Cardinals were able to trade up to No. 10 by giving up picks No. 15, 79 and 152.
“To only go five spots, give up that capital for your franchise quarterback and a ticked off quarterback – I kind of like it,” Davis said.
It also allowed them to take a quarterback Davis thinks will fit into new head coach Steve Wilks’ offense well.
“I don’t know what (Wilks) really wants out of his offense, because he’s a first-time head coach, but what I’ve found is, the really aggressive defensive coordinators that I deal with also like their offenses to be aggressive,” he said. “That fits what Josh Rosen does as a quarterback.”
Josh Rosen’s attitude has been cause for concern and may have been a factor in his slide down the top-10, but Davis doesn’t think the quarterback’s willingness to speak his mind is a bad thing.
“Did Joe Montana every challenge (head coach Bill Walsh)? … Peyton Manning, you think he didn’t challenge? You think BA and Carson just hugged it out all the time?,” Davis said. “That’s what you do with the best players because they are going to challenge you and they want to be challenged.”
