The Arizona Cardinals signed Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon this offseason, but didn’t hesitate to go after a quarterback for the future in the 2018 NFL Draft and moved up five picks to take ___ with the No. 10 overall pick.
Why the Cardinals traded up to No. 10 with the Raiders to take Josh Rosen
It didn’t cost the Cardinals much to move up for Josh Rosen.
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The Oakland Raiders owned the No. 10 pick and received third- and fifth-round picks in return from the Cardinals.
Rosen will have a tough time supplanting Bradford as the starter in 2018, but in the very real possibility of an injury, he’s as ready as any quarterback in the class to step in right away.
Why did the Cardinals make the trade
Yes, Arizona signed a pair of veterans in free agency. But the reality is that the team didn’t have a franchise passer in place and Bradford’s knee is essentially held together with rubber bands at this point.
Rosen carries some injury risk of his own, but the Cardinals have reason to be exceptionally optimistic about the selection.
The UCLA passer is as clean mechanically as quarterback prospects come, with a strong throwing motion, to go with tremendous footwork and accuracy. Rosen will probably have to sit for a while, but he’s a player who could take over in Arizona sooner rather than later.
Why did the Raiders make the trade
It’s tough to know who the Raiders are aiming for, but late mock drafts and rumors suggested Mike McGlinchey was the team’s target. He ended up going No. 9 to the San Francisco 49ers, and if he was the target it makes sense for Oakland to move back.
The problem is that the compensation isn’t much to slide back.
Perhaps, the Raiders will get the player they wanted at No. 15 instead of No. 10, but adding third- and fifth-round picks aren’t much for a move in the first round.
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