It’s been a hot topic in Washington, DC area, Josh Rosen to the Washington Redskins. The Arizona Cardinals appear to mulling over drafting former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in this month’s NFL Draft, potentially leaving Rosen — Arizona’s first-round pick last year — available in a trade.
The Redskins were linked to Rosen early on before they acquired veteran quarterback Case Keenum from the Denver Broncos in a trade last month. Head coach Jay Gruden threw a bone saying Rosen wasn’t available, leading some to believe the Redskins had moved on.
However, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Redskins are still much in play despite being somewhat a forgotten team. Washington is doing their “due diligence” on the top quarterback draft prospects despite having Keenum.
The Redskins hold the No. 15 pick in the draft. Former Missouri QB Drew Lock is set to meet with the team this week. They’ve met with Will Grier of West Virginia last month.
If Murray goes first overall to the Cardinals, the Redskins could go through their process of elimination and then turn to Arizona for Rosen. That’s especially considering sticking at No. 15 could place them out of reach of a desired rookie QB in the draft.
The Redskins presumably are searching for a long-term solution for quarterback, one preferably on a rookie-scale contract, such as a draft choice or Rosen. He has four years of team control remaining on his deal. He is expected to count just under $4.0 million against the cap in 2019 and $4.8 million in 2020, according to Spotrac.
The Redskins will have to determine if their desire for Rosen is worth Arizona’s asking price. They also may have to outbid other suitors, such as NFC East rival, the New York Giants, who have been reportedly linked to Rosen.
It’s anyone’s guess how the next several weeks play out heading into the draft. However, Mortensen’s report gives Rosen and the Redskins legs, as Washington’s brass mulls over the top options of this year’s draft class against Rosen’s potential.
