Miami Dolphins: Ryan Fitzpatrick being ahead of Josh Rosen not surprising
Ryan Fitzpatrick is reportedly the best quarterback early on in Miami Dolphins offseason workouts, but that shouldn’t be a surprise for Josh Rosen.
When the Miami Dolphins signed Ryan Fitzpatrick in the 2019 offseason, they may have had plans to trade for Josh Rosen, though we can’t know for sure. Regardless of the plan then, though, the plan now is for the veteran and the second-year quarterback to battle for the starting job under new head coach Brian Flores.
As the Dolphins have begun offseason workouts, it seems that Fitzpatrick has the early lead in that battle. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the veteran quarterback has been the best at the position in Miami’s offseason workouts to this point, though he did also note that Rosen has played well — it’s just that Fitzpatrick has been better.
Seeing that, there’s a chance that Dolphins fans could begin to mildly panic that Rosen, the No. 10 pick in the 2018 draft, may not pan out in the manner that they were hoping for after trading for him. Having said that, the fact that Fitzpatrick is currently ahead of him shouldn’t really come as a surprise.
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For one, Fitzpatrick is not just a body in the room at quarterback. While no one would ever mistake the Harvard product for being a future Hall-of-Famer, the journeyman is a high-upside player that has proven his merit in this league, which is why he’s stuck around as long as he has. On top of that, his many stops throughout the NFL surely help him to adapt to a new system quicker than most, picking up nuances and succeeding faster than most.
On the contrary, Rosen is coming into the Dolphins system as green as a second-year signal-caller could. It’s hard to look at the hand he was dealt with the Arizona Cardinals and think that was positive for his development. If anything, playing behind a putrid offensive line in a pedestrian system forced him to form bad habits that now have to be broken.
Moreover, Rosen is coming into what will be his third offensive system in as many years, transitioning from UCLA to the Cardinals to the Dolphins. Thus, he has yet to develop any type of comfort with this position, particularly at the pro level. Putting almost any young quarterback through the wringer like that and expecting immediately high returns is a fool’s errand.
Fitzpatrick outperforming Rosen should be expected. His career to this point simply makes it easier for him to come into his situation and show promise while Rosen will need more time. In truth, though, that works out well for the Dolphins.
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Miami isn’t in a position to win a lot of football games in 2019, with or without Fitzpatrick and Rosen. Their roster is depleted and needs to be overhauled before they’re contending again. Thus, allowing a veteran to take the lead while Rosen gets his feet wet and learns from the more experienced player ahead of him may be what’s best for his and the team’s long-term success.