Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and new coach Brian Flores took a considerable step toward their extensive rebuild, acquiring Josh Rosen via a trade during the 2019 NFL on Friday.
Rosen, the No. 10 pick in the draft last year, is coincidentally the crown jewel of Miami’s draft class this year. He has a chance to be the Dolphins starting quarterback in Week 1 if he beats out 14-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for the job.
But could Rosen be the all-encompassing franchise-altering player the Dolphins have longed for since Dan Marino retired in 2000?
Both Grier and Flores were quick to pump the brakes on that notion for Rosen, their most significant transaction to date in the beginning stages of their partnership atop the Dolphins organization.
“I would say for us, we looked at it as an opportunity to add a good, young football player that has a lot of potential in this league. We didn’t go out saying ‘he’s got to be a franchise quarterback for us.’ ” Grier said of Rosen during his post-draft press conference recapping Miami’s coup of players on Saturday.
“For us, he’s a very talented young player, still has a lot of upside in the league … in terms for us, the value and taking on the contract, etc., the value was tremendous for us. We couldn’t pass it up.”
The Dolphins have at least two distinct goals they hoped to achieve during the 2019 draft: Grier wanted to add at least three potential starters to join the roster, and land a first- or second-round pick in the 2020 draft next year.
They acquired Rosen, a former UCLA standout, who will command just $6.28 million for the next three seasons. Miami traded their second-round pick and a fourth-round pick to the New Orleans Saints, turning it into a later second-round pick they flipped for Rosen, a sixth-round pick this year, and a second-round pick in the 2020 draft.
The Dolphins used their first-round pick on Thursday to draft Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, a two-time national champion and three-time All-American, to cement the future of their defensive line.
They drafted Wisconsin’s Michael Dieter in the third round on Friday, adding a versatile interior offensive lineman who durably played in 54 consecutive games during his college career.
The Dolphins made four picks on the final day of the draft on Saturday, first selecting a late-bloomer of sorts in Wisconsin outside linebacker/edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel with the No. 151 pick in the fifth round.
Van Ginkel began his career at South Dakota, transferred to Iowa Western Community College to get some exposure to bigger schools, and finished his two-year career with the Badgers with 12 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss and 99 tackles in two seasons. He caught the Dolphins’ eyes at his pro day.
The Dolphins later drafted Ohio State offensive tackle Isaiah Prince with the No. 202 pick in the sixth round, with hopes he can fill a significant need at right tackle following Ja’Wuan James’ free-agent departure to the Denver Broncos.
The Dolphins finished the draft by selecting Auburn fullback Chandler Cox, of Apopka, with the No. 233 pick, then Washington running back Myles Gaskin with the No. 234 pick. Both players will solidify and offer Miami more flexibility in the backfield.
Only time will tell whether or not Grier met his ultimate draft goals, but he did make steady progress.
“We’re not where we want to be, but we’re happy where we are,” Grier said of his draft-day haul.
The Dolphins have 74 players in tow (Rosen, six new draft picks, nine free agents, seven players from the defunct Alliance of American Football League and 51 returning from last season) before acquiring undrafted free agents following the draft. They need to add 16 more players for a full 90-man roster for training camp.
They may have found the answer to their 20-year question at quarterback, but it’s hard to see after Rosen’s rookie season. He completed just 55.2 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a 66.7 rating after 13 starts with a 3-10 record.
Rosen will be coached in Miami by offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea, who spent the past 10 years as an assistant grooming receivers for quarterback Tom Brady in the New England Patriots organization.
Rosen will also be under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell, who coached Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Matthew Stafford in Detroit.
Grier and Flores, one day after acquiring Rosen, may not be ready to hand him the keys to the franchise.
But the Dolphins hope to make considerable progress with Rosen in tow, unlike his dreadful rookie season with the Cardinals last year.
“You have to earn the right to earn the label. … To label a kid like that right off the bat, I feel like that’s unfair in a lot of ways,” Flores said of Rosen’s potential to be Miami’s franchise quarterback.
“But you have to earn it, and we’ll give him the opportunity.”
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