One of the Patriots' perpetually moribund competitors in the AFC East actually made a smart move over NFL Draft weekend. Next you'll tell me President Trump tweeted something without grammatical errors.
The Dolphins pulled off a deal for quarterback-turned-martyr Josh Rosen, shipping a second-rounder and future fifth-round selection to the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick last year. Rosen struggled in his rookie season, completing just 55-percent of his passes and throwing three more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (11). But Arizona was also wretched and fired its offensive coordinator halfway through the year. Rosen has played for five offensive coordinators in four seasons, dating back to college.
Under usual circumstances, Rosen would've received a second chance in the desert under new head coach Kliff Kingsbury. But Kingsbury, whose qualifications for the job include sitting next to Sean McVay as a special consultant during some Rams meetings in January, is obsessed with Heisman winner Kyler Murray. So the Cardinals took Murray with the No. 1 pick and traded Rosen, weirdly waiting until minutes before the NFL Draft to start shopping him, according to Sports Illustrated.
The whole sloppy process resulted in Rosen's character getting assassinated. The attacks culminated this weekend, with Adam Schefter telling "Mut & Callahan" the ex-UCLA standout is perceived as a "D-Word" and Steve Smith eviscerating Rosen on the NFL's own TV network for unfollowing the Cardinals on social media.
Rosen's value plummeted amidst all the noise, allowing the rebuilding Dolphins to snare the top-10 pick for the price of Andy Isabella.
As we all know, the Dolphins haven't had a viable starting quarterback since Dan Marino. They've cycled through 17 scrubs since the new millennium, with Ryan Fitzpatrick slated as the placeholder for this season.
Rosen is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward pickup. He's slated to earn between $570,000 and $750,000 annually over the next three years and comes with a fourth year of control. The Patriots reportedly inquired about Rosen, too, so Miami wasn't alone. For once, it appears the Dolphins may have outmaneuvered the Patriots.
Judging by Rosen's contrite farewell to Arizona, he isn't going to let the last several weeks cloud over him. One of the most decorated young quarterback prospects in the game now plays in South Beach, and 1,280 miles north, another one plays in MetLife Stadium.
And don't forget about Josh Allen, who's the most promising Bills quarterback since … Doug Flutie circa 1999.
Tom Brady is still the unequivocal king of the AFC East. But for once, the Patriots' underlings are no longer embarrassing themselves at the most important position in sports.
It's a different landscape now.
