ESPN’s Thiry: Cardinals’ Josh Rosen is NFC West’s best newcomer
Jul 9, 2018, 12:59 PM
Arizona Cardinals' Josh Rosen (3) throws during an organized team activity at the NFL football team's training facility, Tuesday, May 15, 2018, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
With the 10th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals committed to Josh Rosen as the team’s franchise quarterback.
The Cardinals aren’t expected to be contending for the division title in 2018, but the addition of Rosen added intrigue and youth to an aging roster.
As training camp opens up next month the Cardinals will soon determine who will start at quarterback Week 1 against Washington. With all signs pointing to Sam Bradford winning the job, there’s a chance we don’t see much of Rosen.
There are plenty of new faces in the NFC West including Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Jerick McKinnon. But for one pundit Rosen stands out.
ESPN’s Los Angeles Rams reporter Lindsey Thiry sees Rosen as the best newcomer to the NFC West, picking the rookie over the established veterans mentioned above.
Rosen sat at the NFL Draft and watched nine players — including three quarterbacks — get taken before him. The former UCLA quarterback considered being picked 10th overall a slight and said he will use it for added motivation. Rosen took a bulk of the reps during the offseason program as the Cardinals attempt to bring the injury-prone Sam Bradford along slowly from his latest ailment.
Bradford’s health remains a question mark as the season approaches. Thiry isn’t confident that Bradford will be able to stay on the field, which emphasizes Rosen’s importance.
Thiry believes that Rosen’s style of play will translate better in the NFL than it did at UCLA. The biggest concern for Rosen and the Cardinals will be to ensure that they protect their 21-year-old quarterback, who dealt with two concussions in college.
But given Bradford’s injury history, Rosen might be thrown into the fire sooner than anticipated.
