QB Josh Rosen Should Be Signed By Cowboys - Because of McCarthy
FRISCO - We are only being a little snarky when we point out that the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff leads the NFL in "quarterback coaches.'' Counting all the guys who help out in the summer, and all the way up to the boss, head coach Mike McCarthy, Dallas literally employs at least six guys with expertise in that area.
One of those guys ought to be put in charge of a project named "Josh Rosen.''
The argument in favor of former top-10 draft pick Josh Rosen in a Cowboys uniform - or maybe, at this point, in any uniform - is a challenging one. The San Francisco 49ers have waived the once-promising quarterback, and he's cleared waivers - meaning nobody wants a minimum-wage QB.
But in terms of simply being what we like to call a "dart throw'' at the all-important position of QB? The sort of dart throw once mastered by GM Ron Wolf, the GM of the same Packers franchise once coached by McCarthy?
The Cowboys - not so much because of vacancies on this roster but more because of coach McCarthy and his army of assistants - should throw that dart.
We really cannot make a strong argument for anything Rosen has done since being the 10th overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft. Rosen was 3-10 as a starter, throwing 14 interceptions against 11 touchdowns. He was deemed expendable when the Cardinals felt they could upgrade by taking Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick a year later. ...
And then started the bounce-around.
Rosen was traded to Miami for a second-round pick in 2019 and a 2020 fifth-round pick. He struggled with the Dolphins where he started three games and had one touchdown against five interceptions.
The Dolphins then took Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and Rosen was waived.
Rosen spent the 2020 season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in December of 2020.
A familiar pattern followed Rosen as the 49ers then traded up to draft Trey Lance with the third-overall pick in the 2021 draft. With Rosen behind Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, he didn't have a place on the 49ers.
And here we are.
The Cowboys believe in quarterback Dak Prescott - "a stud human'' - and they also believe he'll be fully healthy when it's time to start the NFL season at Tampa Bay. They have growing confidence in Garrett Gilbert as the No. 2 guy.
But they should be asking themselves: Could Josh Rosen, amazingly just 24 years old, develop into something more than Cooper Rush, who is likely to get cut here? Could Rosen compete with Ben DiNucci, who we think of as a "young prospect'' but who in fact is a) the same age as Rosen and b) more of a McCarthy family friend than a prospect?
If McCarthy and his Cradle of QB Coaches, along with personnel boss Will McClay and staff, say "no'' to this concept? We trust their collective judgment. But if McCarthy trusts himself as a "QB Whisperer,'' he should throw this dart.
Bottom line: Anybody who can throw a football ends up getting countless shots. Rosen will get another. He might be able to make it work with McCarthy.. And McCarthy might be able to make it work with him.
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