One thing to think of is that as Cardinal fans, we've all seen a crap ton of bad years. We never got the #1 in the modern era. Until now. IF we are to suck with Rosen, it's far more likely we won't have the #1 pick, and thus not get the QB we want to replace him.
In future years, guys like Tua or Lawrence are going to be #1 or very near it. If we don't have the #1, we are looking at giving up 3 first round picks to get them, perhaps even additional lower picks. Whatever it is, it's going to be a ton, and ONLY if that team already has its QB or isn't a division rival. We have the pick now, and if they feel Murray is the better QB and/or fit with what KK wants to do, I'll be fine with it, even prefer it.
But people need to realize that the odds are, if Rosen isn't the guy, we're looking at the 3rd best QB, maybe 2nd best, in whatever year we want to replace him. People are just making the leap that it would be easy to get Tua or Lawrence. It won't be. If we're our historical 4-12 or 5-11 suckage, we'd likely pick 4th-8th.
Whatever would happen with Murray, the risk and cost is a single pick, or less if we trade back. Either way he's ours if we want him. We can't say that about any QB in future years. A Murray in hand is worth Tua in the bush.
We also do have a brand new coach, and I'd rather start KK off with a good fit from year 1 than wait until year 2 or 3 to draft a QB. By then KK will be getting a hot seat. It could be year 4 before a guy like Lawrence is in his 2nd year, and we aren't realistically getting him. This is the year to get everything aligned, with KK's first year and lowest expectations and most amount of time to have guys grow in his system.
So here we are with the #1 pick, and the ability to choose whatever QB we want, and it happens to be a small, one year starter with electric ability our coach recruited out of high school. We need to take a long hard look because we're here and it won't cost us any additional picks. While history is replete with big and small QB failures, each guy is different, and the NFL and the rules are more amenable to smaller QB's then ever before. He has wow talent. If KK thinks Murray is a better fit, we should get him the guy he wants. If Murray hits, he hits big.
Eagles won a Superbowl because they had two cheap, capable QB's on the roster. One was a vet from the depths, but there is no guarantee that Rosen would demand a trade or act a fool. I know the reporters had questions about his attitude, but those might be wrong since they never really had anything concrete to them, just seemingly assumptions.
I'm fine with Rosen, Murray, Rosen+Murray, Bosa, Williams, trade down once or even twice as long as we get good value and end up with the best guys for our team.
We don't know what we have in Rosen. Part of that is because we can excuse him on many things due to lack of talent around him last year. But he also produced almost nothing as a QB. Even in bad situations, rookie QB's often have a couple of breakout games in an otherwise miserable season. Rosen didn't. He didn't. I want Rosen to succeed, but I am absolutely not convinced he will be the QBOTF. He has a shot, but since we're not sure, we can't say we legitimately have one. He has some good traits, but they rarely showed up on game day last year. I was super underwhelmed by Rosen last year.
Even my best friend picked up on my lack of passion for Rosen last season. He was like, you aren't sold on him. I had to be honest with myself, I wasn't, and told him so. I wanted him to show something, and he rarely did. The best stuff he showed as a QB his rookie year happened before the snap.
I guess 4 games of over 194 yards out of 13 starts and 0 over 252 and only 1 Passing TD after Thanksgiving will do that. Matt Leinart had a far better rookie season. He was put in a bad situation, but rookie QBs often are, and many still have a couple breakout games. He didn't.
I believe that If you aren't sure you have a QB, you need to keep looking imo. We don't even have to rest all our hopes of the next 2-3 years on Rosen, since we have the #1 pick. I hear all the time that this year isn't good for QB's, or that year isn't, and good to great QB's come out of that year. Occasionally there's a bum year or two, but as of recently, there's been a lot of talented QB's coming out the past few years, and whatever Murray's faults are, he clearly has some high level talents. Potential superstar talents.
Bottom line is, we need to make sure we have a QBOTF or nothing else matters. Preferrably one that can lead an offense that can score 35-45 points on any given Sunday and can win a shootout.
As Calvin Candie edited to say in Django Unchained.
Calvin Candie: But one must not forget the most important thing in the gridiron game.
Stephen: Mm-hmm.
Calvin Candie: And that is a QB that can win games.
Stephen: Mm-hmm.
Calvin Candie: Now that should be your first, second, third, fourth, and fifth concern. Now, after you have that, and we don't know if we have that, then you can start to implement a grand design. In other words, first thing is first.
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Well, we don't know and we're sitting with the #1 pick. It's not a usual position, but here we are and convential wisdom needs to go out the window. We just fired a coach after one year, have the #1 pick, and hired a college coach. This isn't our year to be convential.
To get back to #1 or otherwise get the #1 QB in any future draft, we're going to pay through the nose. Why not two bites at the QBOTF apple when its already in our hands? One that our coach can determine if he's the best fit for what he wants to do? Worst case, besides both flopping is we eventually have to trade one. But we secure the ability to find out if either of these guys can be our QBOTF. If we find one, who cares ultimately if Rosen or Murray gets traded for a 2nd round or 4th round pick? We could take the loss, and there's a possibility it might not be much of one, if the other one is decent.
One way or another, Keim and the rest of the front office staff and scouts are going to be judged on whether they make the correct decision. As much as Keim trading Rosen could get him fired. Keim not selecting Murray or even Haskins could do it too. No matter what though, if it's 2020 and we don't have a legitimate QBOTF, after trading up for Rosen and then having the #1 overall pick, we've failed. It's a big boy decision and I hope we get it right whatever it is.