UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has a big decision to make next week, after the Bruins play in the Cactus Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 26. After that game, Rosen will decide whether to enter the 2018 NFL Draft. One factor that will reportedly influence his decision is the Cleveland Browns’ ongoing need for a franchise quarterback.
Josh Rosen doesn’t want to get drafted by the Browns. That could be a win-win for both.
The UCLA QB says he may wait a year to avoid getting picked by the Browns. That’s unlikely to happen, and it shouldn’t stop the Browns from drafting him.
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Rosen’s draft decision
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Rosen had misgivings about declaring for the draft if the Browns were going to take him. His concerns have to do with the stability of the franchise in Cleveland, a team that’s started 28 different quarterbacks since 1999.
Rosen, according to the report, would prefer to land with a team that offers more security for a young quarterback. Schefter specifically mentions the Giants.
He’s not the first quarterback this year to express concerns about landing in Cleveland. USC’s Sam Darnold pushed back on reports that he didn’t want to get drafted by the Browns back in November.
Is Rosen a top pick?
He is. The Bruins signal caller is ranked as the top quarterback by draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. Rosen is the first overall pick in Dan Kadar’s latest SB Nation mock draft, taken by the Browns.
Kadar explains why Rosen could be the Browns’ target in the draft:
New general manager John Dorsey said in his introductory press conference that his job was to find a quarterback for the Browns. That should tell you what he thinks about DeShone Kizer, who has had a maddening rookie season. He could like Rosen, a traditional pocket passer with a good arm and a quick release.
The Browns locked up the first overall pick with a loss to the Bears on Sunday.
Will Rosen skip the draft?
It could happen. He could go back to school, play another season at UCLA and punch his ticket for the 2019 draft instead. However, there’s a risk with that move. He could get hurt or struggle on the field for whatever reason, pushing his draft stock down.
That doesn’t seem to bother him.
UCLA is also transitioning to a new head coach, Chip Kelly, so staying in school could also mean learning a different offense for Rosen.
It’s also not the first time this has happened.
What happens is Rosen doesn’t want to play for the Browns?
If he doesn’t go back to school, he can still take his chances for not landing in Cleveland during the NFL draft. His camp can keep pushing this, hoping to push the Browns away before the draft. Or he could use it set up a scenario similar to what Eli Manning did with the Chargers and Giants when he came out for the draft in 2004.
If Cleveland feels that Rosen is legitimately the best quarterback in the draft, they should take him anyway. And it’s not like new general manager John Dorsey wouldn’t make the pick if he thought it was for the best anyway.
Having drafted Rosen, they could then turn around and trade him, picking up even more draft assets in the process, probably even more than if they just traded the pick (which is also an option they’ll have). That would be a win-win scenario for both the Browns and Rosen.
Cleveland has two first-round picks, including the one it got from Houston when the Texans traded up for Deshaun Watson in the 2017 draft. That pick is currently the fourth overall, and likely to stay a top-five pick. So, it’s not as if the Browns don’t have the ability to draft another potential first-round quarterback this year.
There’s also the chance this could amount to nothing. Maybe Dorsey convinces him that things are going to chance in Cleveland. Though with Hue Jackson reportedly coming back, that may not be enough given how poorly he handled rookie DeShone Kizer this year.
The season’s not even over, and we’ve already got Browns draft drama. ‘Tis the season!
The Browns Live in Hell
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