Last year it was Leonard Fournette. This year it's Josh Rosen. It seems every NFL Draft class has an outspoken, arrogant player who doesn't understand the golden rule for rookies: Let your play do the talking.
Fournette's brashness last preseason — he said he was unimpressed by the speed of the NFL game — was tame compared to that of Rosen, who let loose with a verbal barrage after he fell to the No. 10 overall pick, where the Cardinals traded up to draft him.
"I was pretty pissed off as I saw teams passing on me," Rosen said. "There were nine mistakes ahead of me."
Classy words? No.
Making friends among those eight teams and the players they selected, including three quarterbacks? Not likely.
Entering the NFL as a pompous, ultra-opinionated, immature 21-year-old who is only reinforcing the perception that he is over-impressed with himself when he hasn't done squat at the sport's highest level?
Bingo.
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As was the case with Fournette last year, this is not a federal offense, and there are worse people who have been early round draftees in recent years. But as Rosen tweeted when his college coach Jim Mora Jr. made the eye-opening statement that Sam Darnold would be a better fit as the No. 1 pick — "WHY?"
As in, why would Mora say such a thing? Well, right back at you, Josh.
Why do you feel the need to make controversial statements about where you're drafted? … Or when you said, “Look, football and school don't go together." … Or this condescending beauty: "Raise the SAT requirements at Alabama and see what kind of team they have." … Or this post-football goal: “I want to own the world."
As a team exec in the past and now in my work with an agent group, I have always advised our rookies to lay low, learn their crafts, be great teammates, play with a motor and be ready to produce when called upon. Say little and do a lot as a rookie; it will win you a lot more friends. And if a player becomes an elite QB, being humble will produce more votes for the Pro Bowl, All-Pro status and, maybe, eventual Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim thought highly enough of Rosen to trade three picks in order to move up five spots and snag the QB. Keim says his young signal caller is "arguably the most intelligent player in the draft."
But how bright is it for a rookie to put a target on his back before playing a down in the NFL?
There is no exact formula for the makeup of a successful quarterback. I worked on two Super Bowl teams, and the quarterbacks were physical and personality opposites. Fran Tarkenton in Minnesota was smaller and outgoing. Steve McNair in Tennessee was a big guy who was quiet by nature. Both had the confidence general managers and coaches love in their quarterbacks; it translated into an ability to make the plays that win close games and playoff games, plus the ability to lead fourth-quarter comebacks when necessary.
Tarkenton and McNair were leaders who inspired their teammates and had the belief of their coaches, as is the case with virtually all top quarterbacks.
Rosen qualifies in the area of confidence. But will he be a leader, or will his Cardinals teammates question his maturity and focus? Remember, Mora's said it could be a challenge to hold Rosen's focus, saying the QB has "a lot of interests in life."
Tom Brady and Peyton Manning had plenty of other interests, but when it came time for football, they were laser-focused on the game. Will that be the case for Rosen?
BENDER: How Rosen can prove he's No. 1 where it matters most
One of the fears for some NFL people with Rosen is that he comes from a privileged background, so they wonder how important football is to him. Rosen will have to prove his dedication. He'll have a chip on his shoulder from the self-perceived slight on draft day. That should be a good thing for the Cardinals as long as Rosen handles the pressure from the outside as well as the pressure he places on himself.
Durability also is a critical factor. Rosen has good size at 6-4, 220 pounds, but there are questions about his ability to stay healthy after missing the last half of his sophomore season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He then missed two games last season due to a pair of concussions.
There are plenty of positives with Rosen in terms of his arm strength, his excellent throwing mechanics and his ability to move in the pocket. He also showed his comeback ability in last year's 45-44 victory over Texas A&M in Week 1 as he led the Bruins back from 34 points down and threw for 491 yards and four touchdowns. In his showdown with cross-town rival USC and fellow high first-rounder Darnold, Rosen passed for 421 yards and three TDs in a narrow defeat. Over his final college season, he threw for a school record 3,756 yards with 26 TD passes and 10 interceptions.
After Rosen’s unfortunate draft-day comments, it's apparent that somebody got in his ear and told him to tone down his act.
"It's behind me," Rosen said upon arriving in Arizona. “I’m a Cardinal now and hope I will be for many years. I'm going to come in and be respectful. Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon are two amazing quarterbacks.”
But has too much damage been done? Will Bradford, Glennon and the rest of the Cardinals buy this gentle version of Rosen? Will his fellow quarterbacks try to help him acclimate to the NFL or look sideways at him?
All of Rosen’s off-field headlines ultimately will put extra pressure on him, which is never good for a player. But if he can win with class in the NFL, it will help cure his past ills.
Until then, Rosen propping up his image as he launches his NFL career following a sputtering start will be quite the challenge.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on Negotiation and Sports Business/Sports Management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
