Vikings Territory: Former 1st-Round QB Josh Rosen Is A Free Agent

Press release from Vikings Territory:

2021-08-18

A cautionary tale about falling in love with sure-fire 1st-Round quarterback talents, Josh Rosen is currently a free agent available to sign with any NFL team.

The 24-year-old was a mainstay of draft hype conversations just three years ago, lassoed in with the 2018 draft class that included Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. To date, only Mayfield, Allen, and Jackson have emerged from the grouping as Pro Bowl-caliber passers.

During 2019 and 2020, the Minnesota Vikings could have used a prospect like Rosen. Those two campaigns were the sets for Sean Mannion as QB2 of the Vikings, a player most Vikings fans didn’t love. Through six full years of professional football, Mannion has yet to throw a single touchdown pass.

The Vikings do not need Josh Rosen on their roster for 2021. Minnesota is not elite at QB2 by any means, but the team – for once – has a long-term plan at the position if the Kirk Cousins Experiment ends soon. That’s Kellen Mond, drafted out of the 3rd Round last April.

What’s more, Rosen isn’t any good. He’s tossed 12 touchdown passes to 19 interceptions through three NFL seasons – a mark that is fatally incongruent with contemporary quarterback standards, even for young players. Not the Cardinals, Dolphins, Buccaneers, nor 49ers believe in his abilities. Is that a coincidence? No, his performance stinks. There is not enough room for him on practice squads, evidently.

The Vikings could have used Rosen in 2019 or 2020 when the Mannion contingency plan was running roughshod over the depth chart. But Minnesota doesn’t need a fallen 1st-Round draft talent on its roster now — when it already has Mond with a high upside clamoring for action.

This press release was produced by Vikings Territory .The views expressed here are the author’s own.