5 Questions to Compare Mason Rudolph and Josh Rosen

It's a new week, which means there's a new quarterback on the market the Steelers should explore. This time, it's not a Super Bowl-playing veteran or a former number one overall pick, but a former first-rounder who hasn't found his place in the NFL.

Brought to my attention through a Twitter message, the newest member of the 'replacing Mason Rudolph' club is current Miami Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen.

Rosen was sent to Miami following the Arizona Cardinals' decision to draft Kyler Murray first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Starting in just three games last season, Rosen threw for 567 yards and one touchdown to five interceptions.

Now, he's looking to be the third quarterback on the depth chart as the Dolphins bring in Tua Tagovailoa to work ahead of, or behind, Ryan Fitzpatrick.

So, before all the craziness begins about how the Steelers should trade for Rosen, let's compare him and Rudolph. Both entering their third year in the league, we'll see how big of an upgrade it would be if Rosen came to Pittsburgh.

To do so, I answered five questions regarding Rudolph's future in the NFL. Then, I sent those same five questions to AllDolphins publisher Alain Poupart to see how the Dolphins and Steelers backup quarterbacks stacked against each other.

Why didn’t (Rosen/Rudolph) finish the 2019 season as the starter?

Alain: The simple answer is that Ryan Fitzpatrick clearly was the better quarterback. Fitzpatrick was the better quarterback through training camp and the offseason, which is why he became the starter on opening day. After the back-to-back blowout losses against the Ravens and Pats to start the season, Coach Brian Flores gave Rosen his shot and it was his job to keep at that point had he performed. But he didn’t — although he didn’t necessarily have a great roster around him — and the low point came in Week 6 (after a bye) against Washington. Rosen had a really bad day, Fitzpatrick replaced him late in the third quarter and almost brought the Dolphins back for a victory. At that point, Flores had zero choice but to stick with Fitzpatrick if his players were going to believe that the Dolphins were playing to win games — which they were, contrary to popular belief.

Noah: When Rudolph first took over as the starter, everyone began to complain about how timid the offensive gameplan was. Short five to ten yard passes, with little deep ball action, which eventually shut down the offense's ability to run the ball.

So, once Randy Fichtner started airing it deep - or at least trying to - Rudolph starting throwing ducks. It became overwhelmingly clear that Rudolph wasn't accurate enough to work an entire playbook, which is about the time Devlin Hodges started to join the conversation. After a few bad plays against Cincinnati, the decision to let Hodges take a run at the offense was a no brainer.

What’s the potential of (Rudolph/Rosen) at this point in his career?

Alain: That’s a tough question because there’s a lot to like about Rosen. He’s got a really good arm — the ball jumps out when he fires it — he’s very smart and also a good athlete. The problem is that Rosen is too hesitant in the pocket and that slow decision-making gets him in trouble. The question any team has to ask itself at this point is whether that’s something that can be fixed. Of course, it hasn’t helped that Rosen has a new offensive coordinator like practically every year, but some of it is on him as well.

Noah: It's not even close to shut the door on Rudolph, yet. He needs to work on his accuracy and quickness in his decision-making, but overall he still contains all the tangibles you want in a young quarterback.

You knew he had development left in him when he came to the league, and not having a quarterback coach the first two seasons certainly didn't help him do that. Now that Matt Canada is there, we'll get the first glimpse of what could be with some specialized coaching.

How much development does (Rudolph/Rosen) have left?

Alain: From a physical standpoint, Rosen is there. Like I said, he’s got all the traits you like — strong arm, good mobility, good size. There is a lot of development to be made when it comes to quick processing in the pocket, and that’s going to be the key for him moving forward if he’s going to have a successful NFL career.

Noah: A lot. Rudolph needs to work on decision-making and accuracy. He contains the arm strength and the football IQ, and he can get a team to rally around him, but on the field he still looks a little lost. He needs to add a bigger pocket-presence and learn to trust his reads.

Does (Rudolph/Rosen) have the ability to start if needed in 2020?

Alain: That’s the $64,000 question clearly. Rosen’s only action following that October game against Washington was consisted of three snaps against the Colts while Fitzpatrick was being evaluated for a concussion and the Dolphins had him hand off three straight times to set up a field goal attempt. Because in-season practices are closed to the media, we didn’t get the chance what kind of progress, if any, Rosen made through October, November and December. Flores was consistent in praising Rosen for his progress and development, but the truth is no one will know how far Rosen has come along until he gets into a game situation.

Noah: The Steelers certainly think so. Even if we should put all our confidence in trusting that Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, there has to always be a contingency plan and Pittsburgh's is Rudolph.

Can Rudolph lead a team to the playoffs? I don't think so. Even when he was benched last season, you didn't see the development in practice that you'd like to see for a player who just lost his starting job to an undrafted rookie. If he's needed this year he should get close to a 9-7 record, but he's not a Super Bowl-winning quarterback at this point.

What’s (Rudolph/Rosen’s) trade value?

Alain: Rosen has trade value because he’s young (he’s two months younger than Joe Burrow), because he’s got ability and because his contract is favorable (he’s in a third-year of his rookie contract). The Dolphins likely would keep him instead of just giving him away because maybe he can sit behind Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa next season and then serve as Tua’s backup. The Dolphins gave up second- and fifth-round picks to get Rosen from Arizona in April 2019 and it’s obvious they’re not getting that kind of return back if they do decide to trade him. But they’re also not just going to give him away. This is a guess, but maybe they’d consider trading him for, say, a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

Noah: Right now, very little. If Jamies Winston is playing third-string quarterback in New Orleans for $1.1 million, not many teams are going to be looking for Mason Rudolph to add to their arsenal.

It's not NFL executives that are as down on Rudolph as the fans are, so there is some trade value, but it's rather small. Maybe a fourth or fifth-round pick depending on the situation, but with so many quarterbacks in the league right now, it's difficult to say anyone would want one that was benched for a fourth-stringer in 2019.

Noah Strackbein is a Senior Writer at AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.