Rosen

[SD_Tom]

46 minutes ago, Mark O said:

Mountain West does generate some very good players.  But those players (like Rashaad Penny) have good to great stats even when they play teams from the bigger and better conferences.

Brian Sipe and Marshall Faulk are two prime examples.  I would not mind seeing Penny in orange and brown.. Most underrated player in the draft. 

[Tour2ma]

Well when you have to go back 30 years to come up with two "prime examples"...

A good player here and there can slip thru the cracks and into any of the lesser conferences just as UDFAs can go on to HoF careers... but they are the exceptions.

 

[SD_Tom]

4 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

Well when you have to go back 30 years to come up with two "prime examples"...

A good player here and there can slip thru the cracks and into any of the lesser conferences just as UDFAs can go on to HoF careers... but they are the exceptions.

 

I agree.  I definitely don't think the mwc is an NFL pipeline. 

 

[Westside Steve]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000925405/article/josh-rosen-the-best-qb-in-2018-draft-dont-count-out-cowboys

[hoorta]

1 hour ago, Westside Steve said:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000925405/article/josh-rosen-the-best-qb-in-2018-draft-dont-count-out-cowboys

I don't like Schumcky Cooks. If Rosen is the best qb in the draft why is he mocking Allen to the Browns?   Yuccky's cow poop meanderings Steve. 

[Westside Steve]

6 hours ago, hoorta said:

I don't like Schumcky Cooks. If Rosen is the best qb in the draft why is he mocking Allen to the Browns?   Yuccky's cow poop meanderings Steve. 

Just posting the article. It is an opinion that some people, who aren't complete idiots, seem to embrace. Like I've said my concerns are his frame and the idea that he isn't dedicated to the sport which, of course, may just be negative hype. I have concerns about all four of the top choices.

WSS

[TexasAg1969]

I saw Bucky discussing it on NFL Network last night and he was saying basically Rosen is the next Drew Brees. I will be PO'd if the Browns screw the pooch on this. There are not enough XXX T-shirts around to handle the list of fails. One more could doom the franchise.

[calfoxwc]

Bucky was a cb. yeah, he's a real expert at quarterbacking. Played for five different teams in fives years, mostly

as a kr. nah.

 

[tiamat63]

1 hour ago, calfoxwc said:

Bucky was a cb. yeah, he's a real expert at quarterbacking. Played for five different teams in fives years, mostly

as a kr. nah.

 

 

Generally we DB's can spot a good QB when we see one.      Helps when you have to faced the Schmuckers.   

[calfoxwc]

he was mostly a kick returner, though. Unless qb's were trying to tackle him on special teams...

[Flugel]

5 hours ago, tiamat63 said:

 

Generally we DB's can spot a good QB when we see one.      Helps when you have to faced the Schmuckers.   

Well said!  Bucky also played 4 years of WR at NC.   https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bucky-brooks-1.html

Bucky Brooks

School: North Carolina

Position: WR

Draft: 2nd round, 48th overall of the 1994 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills

Receiving & Rushing

						Receiving				Rushing				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
Career	North Carolina					63	1154	18.3	10	4	99	24.8	0	67	1253	18.7	10
1989	North Carolina	ACC		WR	11	12	144	12.0	0					12	144	12.0	0
1990	North Carolina	ACC		WR	11	5	96	19.2	1					5	96	19.2	1
1992	North Carolina	ACC		WR	11	21	400	19.0	3	1	68	68.0	0	22	468	21.3	3
1993	North Carolina	ACC		WR	12	25	514	20.6	6	3	31	10.3	0	28	545	19.5	6

 

[LondonBrown]

So Bucky Brooks isn’t qualified to comment on QB’s because he “only” played WR and CB, but you are because....?

[TexasAg1969]

34 minutes ago, LondonBrown said:

So Bucky Brooks isn’t qualified to comment on QB’s because he “only” played WR and CB, but you are because....?

".....I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night?"

[tiamat63]

1 hour ago, LondonBrown said:

So Bucky Brooks isn’t qualified to comment on QB’s because he “only” played WR and CB, but you are because....?

Because he finally started watching tape like two weeks ago. 

[calfoxwc]

never said I was qualified. I just do. we don't get paid to be Tour's "experts".

Apparently, bucky doesn't understand much,, that's all.

[tiamat63]

18 minutes ago, calfoxwc said:

never said I was qualified. I just do. we don't get paid to be Tour's "experts".

Apparently, bucky doesn't understand much,, that's all.

He just doesn't understand those intangibles bruh. 

[Tour2ma]

I have "experts"? Cool...

21 hours ago, hoorta said:

I don't like Schumcky Cooks. If Rosen is the best qb in the draft why is he mocking Allen to the Browns?   Yuccky's cow poop meanderings Steve. 

C'mon, h... you've said it yourself... rankings are different from Mocks. In the latter you say what you think the teams will do. While the former is an ordering of the talent as Bucky... or you... or I... or even cal, sees it.

Here's the odd thing about Bucky... he's completed his "books" on each of the top four QBs (plus two RBs and counting) except the QB that comes first alphabetically. And since he has already clued us in that the missing QB is not his top dog, we know he's not saving the best for last. So why the delay?

 

Three more weeks of click-bait mocks to go...

[jiggins7919]

On 4/7/2018 at 10:11 PM, Tour2ma said:

I have "experts"? Cool...

C'mon, h... you've said it yourself... rankings are different from Mocks. In the latter you say what you think the teams will do. While the former is an ordering of the talent as Bucky... or you... or I... or even cal, sees it.

Here's the odd thing about Bucky... he's completed his "books" on each of the top four QBs (plus two RBs and counting) except the QB that comes first alphabetically. And since he has already clued us in that the missing QB is not his top dog, we know he's not saving the best for last. So why the delay?

 

Three more weeks of click-bait mocks to go...

Yep, a few more weeks to go. The crazy thing to me is that we know the draft hardly ever goes like people think, and this one could be absolutely crazy, especially early. Now we have the Patriots with 2 first rounders I think, and the popular thinking is THEY might be collecting assets to move up for a QB. So now we have Browns, Bills, and Pats with 2 picks, and they all want a QB, possibly.

I'll tell you what, I've seen some videos of Josh Rosen lately, and I think the guy has done himself some good. He comes off as likeable, funny, and having more personality than given credit for. He's also answered some tough questions, some of them personal in nature. I've been impressed by him, and I'm guessing NFL execs are too. Now, along the same line is Baker Mayfield. THAT guy is popping up everywhere (on TV), and let me tell you, that kid has personality. Now, nobody gets drafted because they'd win a popularity contest, but Baker seems like a guy people would WANT to play with. He's funny, driven, and can really sling it. I think he's the perfect guy to be the face of a franchise that has struggled more than any in history. I really do. That being said, Josh Rosen has gone a long way to squish any fear I had about him being a douche bag and having no personality. Is he arrogant? I don't think so. I believe he's confident, and that's what I WANT. 

The guy I'm concerned about is Sam Darnold. He just seems to have this "Aw Shucks" type of mentality. Now, I realize I don't really know any of these guys, and what I see on TV doesn't really mean squat, but I do wonder if Darnold has that "It Factor". How's he going to respond after getting his azz whipped in a game and throwing 3 picks? Because in my crazy mind, after Baker Mayfield throws 3 picks and loses a game, he's going to enter the "Insane Zone" and work his tail completely off without losing confidence. 

 

[Canton Mike]

57 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

Yep, a few more weeks to go. The crazy thing to me is that we know the draft hardly ever goes like people think, and this one could be absolutely crazy, especially early. Now we have the Patriots with 2 first rounders I think, and the popular thinking is THEY might be collecting assets to move up for a QB. So now we have Browns, Bills, and Pats with 2 picks, and they all want a QB, possibly.

I'll tell you what, I've seen some videos of Josh Rosen lately, and I think the guy has done himself some good. He comes off as likeable, funny, and having more personality than given credit for. He's also answered some tough questions, some of them personal in nature. I've been impressed by him, and I'm guessing NFL execs are too. Now, along the same line is Baker Mayfield. THAT guy is popping up everywhere (on TV), and let me tell you, that kid has personality. Now, nobody gets drafted because they'd win a popularity contest, but Baker seems like a guy people would WANT to play with. He's funny, driven, and can really sling it. I think he's the perfect guy to be the face of a franchise that has struggled more than any in history. I really do. That being said, Josh Rosen has gone a long way to squish any fear I had about him being a douche bag and having no personality. Is he arrogant? I don't think so. I believe he's confident, and that's what I WANT. 

The guy I'm concerned about is Sam Darnold. He just seems to have this "Aw Shucks" type of mentality. Now, I realize I don't really know any of these guys, and what I see on TV doesn't really mean squat, but I do wonder if Darnold has that "It Factor". How's he going to respond after getting his azz whipped in a game and throwing 3 picks? Because in my crazy mind, after Baker Mayfield throws 3 picks and loses a game, he's going to enter the "Insane Zone" and work his tail completely off without losing confidence. 

 

I agree. What the Browns need to do is draft the best QB. All this talk of "ceiling" is fine, but "ceiling" hasn't yet been reached & MAY NEVER be reached. I'll support any QB Dorsey & co pick, but I will be elated with either Rosen or Mayfield. We'll see in 17 days.

Mike

[TexasAg1969]

1 hour ago, jiggins7919 said:

The guy I'm concerned about is Sam Darnold. He just seems to have this "Aw Shucks" type of mentality. Now, I realize I don't really know any of these guys, and what I see on TV doesn't really mean squat, but I do wonder if Darnold has that "It Factor". How's he going to respond after getting his azz whipped in a game and throwing 3 picks? Because in my crazy mind, after Baker Mayfield throws 3 picks and loses a game, he's going to enter the "Insane Zone" and work his tail completely off without losing confidence.

I think of Joe Montana who always kept the same demeanor, but played lights out. Hopefully if we pick Darnold he will be just a larger version of "Joe Cool".

[Bigalow80]

3 hours ago, jiggins7919 said:

Yep, a few more weeks to go. The crazy thing to me is that we know the draft hardly ever goes like people think, and this one could be absolutely crazy, especially early. Now we have the Patriots with 2 first rounders I think, and the popular thinking is THEY might be collecting assets to move up for a QB. So now we have Browns, Bills, and Pats with 2 picks, and they all want a QB, possibly.

I'll tell you what, I've seen some videos of Josh Rosen lately, and I think the guy has done himself some good. He comes off as likeable, funny, and having more personality than given credit for. He's also answered some tough questions, some of them personal in nature. I've been impressed by him, and I'm guessing NFL execs are too. Now, along the same line is Baker Mayfield. THAT guy is popping up everywhere (on TV), and let me tell you, that kid has personality. Now, nobody gets drafted because they'd win a popularity contest, but Baker seems like a guy people would WANT to play with. He's funny, driven, and can really sling it. I think he's the perfect guy to be the face of a franchise that has struggled more than any in history. I really do. That being said, Josh Rosen has gone a long way to squish any fear I had about him being a douche bag and having no personality. Is he arrogant? I don't think so. I believe he's confident, and that's what I WANT. 

The guy I'm concerned about is Sam Darnold. He just seems to have this "Aw Shucks" type of mentality. Now, I realize I don't really know any of these guys, and what I see on TV doesn't really mean squat, but I do wonder if Darnold has that "It Factor". How's he going to respond after getting his azz whipped in a game and throwing 3 picks? Because in my crazy mind, after Baker Mayfield throws 3 picks and loses a game, he's going to enter the "Insane Zone" and work his tail completely off without losing confidence. 

 

The reports on Darnold is not that he is an "Aw Shucks" kind of guy. He's just not a rah rah type of guy similar to Mayfield. He is more of an introvert. He's not going to go yelling and screaming at you when you make a mistake. He will stay even keeled and then have that discussion later on. However, he will have your back to the very end no matter what. He cut short his visit with the browns to go throw for a teammate. That says something. Also, Allen seems as though he is a bit of an introvert as well. I would be more concerned about him than I would about Darnold. Allen has not shown he can lead a team where as Darnold has proven that he has been on the highest of stages and the lowest but he has been the same guy the whole time.

Now, don't take this as there is anything wrong with the rah rah guy mentality. Some players love that fire and passion. It has to fit into the locker room mentality. I, honestly, do not know what kind of locker room the browns have. Is it low key, is it crazy, is it intense? Players can feed off this which part of the reason why OU players loved Baker. He got them fired up. My concern would be those are 18-22 year olds playing a game, and the NFL is a bunch of grown men trying to make a living. 

The question about Mayfield's emotions, is whether he can keep them controlled. "Insane Zone" sounds great, except the qb has to be able to shake off those three picks and not harp on them and just move forward. Mayfield seems to feed on all the "haters" and "doubters". I think this is what concerns front offices, is the fact that he may not be able to handle rejection or poor games well enough to just move on. 

[Tour2ma]

Nice takes, Bigs... especially the Mayfield concern around his channeling his passion. In a sit and learn situation on a team that is still going to lose more than it wins he concerns me. That said he is still my #2 choice.

5 hours ago, jiggins7919 said:

I'll tell you what, I've seen some videos of Josh Rosen lately, and I think the guy has done himself some good. He comes off as likeable, funny, and having more personality than given credit for. He's also answered some tough questions, some of them personal in nature. I've been impressed by him, and I'm guessing NFL execs are too.

The guy I'm concerned about is Sam Darnold. He just seems to have this "Aw Shucks" type of mentality. Now, I realize I don't really know any of these guys, and what I see on TV doesn't really mean squat, but I do wonder if Darnold has that "It Factor". How's he going to respond after getting his azz whipped in a game and throwing 3 picks? Because in my crazy mind, after Baker Mayfield throws 3 picks and loses a game, he's going to enter the "Insane Zone" and work his tail completely off without losing confidence.

As I alluded to above, I'd be more concerned about Baker's reaction after Tyrod throws three INTs to lose a game.

Darnold? Fair or not I still get a Cali-cool, Leinart vibe... and that's on top of there being so much wrong mechanically with the kid.

As for Rosen... I thought the off-field was overblown to begin with, but agree that he's dealt well, about as well as can be expected, with a difficult area to address.

[Dutch Oven]

Remember how opposing defenses went out of their way to Shmuck with Manziel when he made appearances for the Browns?

I fully expect NFL defensive players to do the same with Mayfield. 

[calfoxwc]

Darnold? Fair or not I still get a Cali-cool, Leinart vibe... and that's on top of there being so much wrong mechanically with the kid. Tour

*************************************************************

    That is fair, but pitifully hypocritical when you don't see a "cali-cool, Leinart vibe" about your idol, rosen.

[tiamat63]

2 minutes ago, calfoxwc said:

Darnold? Fair or not I still get a Cali-cool, Leinart vibe... and that's on top of there being so much wrong mechanically with the kid. Tour

*************************************************************

    That is fair, but pitifully hypocritical when you don't see a "cali-cool, Leinart vibe" about your idol, rosen.

....how?  

[Tour2ma]

 

1 hour ago, tiamat63 said:

....how?  

Apparently I have arrived at a two-state solution...

[Unsympathetic]

10 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

he's dealt well, about as well as can be expected, with a difficult area to address.

Gotta disagree with you.. sort of.  It wasn't difficult to address -- it was a complete lie from the beginning because Rosen had the temerity to give nuanced answers rather than the no-content gurglings that the press decides they "want" to hear.  And I think he addressed things in the best way -- stay positive and be calm and confident.

Funny how there's zip/zero issue with Rosen as of now.  That link is to Gil Brandt of SI -- as establishment as they come, and if they're putting that in SI's premiere draft article.. we can be sure that the reality is that the attempted smear is now an entirely dead issue.

“I have zero questions about Josh Rosen. I have no problems with him at all.”

[tiamat63]

9 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

 

Apparently I have arrived at a two-state solution...

Usually you have to pay double for that kind of action, Cotton. 

[Tour2ma]

Yeah he's my guy, but there's a new ESPN article that is putting a lot of the nay-saying to rest.

Today on NFL Live Louis Riddick said as he sat down to read it in prep for today's show that he was "ready to put the last nail in his coffin. Instead he found himself pulling other nails out." The rest of the discussion which also included Todd McShay was about how many times they have heard how impressed teams have been that had Josh in for visits.

Here's the link to the article... http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2018/story/_/id/23041561/josh-rosen-answers-nfl-critics-ucla-quarterback-tom-brady-ncaa-2018-draft

Josh Rosen takes on the NFL ... and his critics

 

7:00 AM CT

• 
  Sam AlipourESPN The Magazine

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Apr. 23 NEXT Issue. Subscribe today!

"That's just not me," Josh Rosen says of the designer labels on offer for his recent photo shoot for this story. Nah, the ex-UCLA signal-caller and projected first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft is perfectly fine, thank you very much, with his standard wardrobe of tee, jeans and maltreated Chucks. "I'm just a regular dude," Rosen says several times at an LA studio, seemingly forgetting (or remembering all too well?) that roughly half of draft-loving America feels he's a future franchise QB, while the other half fears he's a crap-stirring, system-disrupting locker room poison pill.

After the shoot wraps, Rosen and I commandeer the studio's kitchen table and begin a conversation that will veer wildly from his tangents du jour -- interplanetary colonization, climate change, the existence of God -- to the only slightly more pressing matter of his volatile draft stock. He's always spoken his mind, and on the brink of the biggest day of his career, he's not changing now.

Rosen thinks his skills speak for themselves, but he has plenty to say anyway. Peter Yang for ESPN

The Mag: Soon you'll be an NFL quarterback. How does that sound?
JOSH ROSEN: It's a dream. Always has been. It's a loaded term: NFL quarterback. Face of the franchise. What does it mean?

Ready for that responsibility?
I'm excited for it. I don't think I'm ready for it, but I'm as ready as I can be. A lot of it is trial by fire. And what happened to me in college, which people may call "knocks," has prepared me for the NFL fire.

As a passer, you've been compared to Aaron Rodgers. You were once pegged as the first or second pick. For those off-field knocks, some now see you as a mid-first-rounder and the next Jay Cutler. You hear that one?
Yeah, it's as frustrating as Baker Mayfield hearing the Johnny Manziel comparisons. I just don't think it's true. But it's up to me to prove them wrong. If it persists, it's my fault for not silencing it.

Seemingly every year, one draftee helps shine a light on the volatility of the draft evaluation process -- specifically, the analysis of the unquantifiable. Rodgers was that guy when he fell to 24th. You might be that guy this year. What's it like being inside that wormhole?
It's been hectic. I think if teams went back to that draft, they'd rethink some of their critiques of Rodgers. If he's the best pure passer in the draft, the best QB, with no legitimate off-field issues, that should be your answer -- that's your QB. I think a lot of people try to add fluff on the edge to, I don't know, justify their jobs? I can't say that, but people make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Who's the best QB in this draft?
I'm the best QB in the draft. A lot of guys are flashier, but I think I'm the most efficient, monotonously consistent QB in this draft. Rodgers has some flair, but if you watch Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, there's nothing that's explosive or Johnny Manziel -- like. It's just quarterbacking.

But as you said, it's so much more.
I have no issues with a team doing due diligence and forming opinions. But this is my opportunity to answer these questions on a national stage and set the record right with teams so there's no more third-party misinformation. Up to that point, it's just noise.

What culpability do you have in creating that noise?
[Pauses] Starting off, I was pretty arrogant. They handed an 18-year-old the keys to a D1 FBS-contending university. I blew up a little bit, said some things I didn't mean, and that follows you. You get one chance to make a first impression. I made the wrong one.

Let's dig into your perceived character flaws: You're a Socky, jerkish, overly opinionated rich kid who's too smart and has too many outside interests for his own good. Did I get it all?
Yeah, but let's go one by one. What was the first one?

You're a rich kid who -- extrapolating here -- doesn't need, or love, the game of football.
OK, my family isn't, like, stupid-wealthy. But I'm coming from a place where if football doesn't work out, I don't have to work at McDonald's. Other NFL players had the same opportunities. I just haven't tried to hide it or fool teams into thinking I'm someone I'm not. My passion for this game lies in the game, not my need to play it. Tons of players needed this game, needed the money, played it out of obligation and burned out. I don't need it and still I give everything to it.

Your parents are Ivy League -- educated. Your dad, Charles, an orthopedic surgeon, was on Obama's short list to be surgeon general. Your mom, Liz, is the great-great-granddaughter of Joseph Wharton of Penn's Wharton business school.
I'll put it this way: These connections were discovered because I shared them. That's my naïveté in thinking, "I'm going to tell people who I am because that's who I am." At 18, I wasn't aware it was something to hide.

Is it something to hide?
I think so, because I'm catching flak for it. I could've avoided it if I'd just shut my mouth. But that's not the person I want to be.

What are your football goals?
I want to be great -- in everything I do. As far as football, I always looked up to Kellen Moore of Boise State. I thought it was the coolest thing that he was the winningest QB of all time. I thought that was a cool word: winningest. So I want to be the winningest QB in NFL history. I want to win the most games and most championships. I'd say six titles, but if Tom Brady gets six, I'll say seven.

"I've learned how to be self-aware and conscientious," Rosen says. "I'm trying not to judge people because I want to be the person that I wish people were to me." Peter Yang for ESPN

That's a perfect transition to: You're Socky. Egotistical.
You have to be. But you have to know where it plays and where it doesn't. If you're talking to reporters, pull your foot off the pedal. In a game, if the window's closing on your receiver, sometimes you need to dial it up and say f--- that, I'm going to get the ball in there. I'm supremely confident in my abilities as a quarterback.

A related knock, and it's a biggie: You're a jerk. How does it feel to know that when you Google "Jerk Josh Rosen," you get thousands of results?
It's a blessing in disguise. If you get ID'd as a jerk, you try really hard not to be one. Maybe a little bit of me was a jerk in the past. I'm trying to wipe it away.

What's the most jerkish thing you've done?
[Pauses] The social media post about Under Armour was pretty sh---y, and the hot tub.

What was the mistake with the tub? Having an inflatable tub in your room, hosting a woman in the tub or allowing a photo to hit Instagram?
Hosting a woman in the tub. Again, it's about tailoring the message -- I don't want to get political, but the thing I regret the most about the Trump thing is using the F-word. I'm a role model for kids. I regret the F-word.
Now the hot tub: I accidentally shipped it to my mom's house. My mom thought it was hilarious and drove it up for me. I thought it was hilarious because she did. But I shouldn't have had a woman in there. I enjoy making people laugh, but what I find funny and put online, others might misconstrue and find jerkish. I need to refine my message but not lose who I am.

Next one: You have an issue with teammates.
Just ask my teammates. They love ... I don't even want to say that. It'd be jerkish to say "I'm f---ing sick and my teammates would reaffirm me because I'm dope!" Talk to my teammates. I'm confident they recognize how much I care for them.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I'm not rah-rah. I want to develop individual relationships to understand how certain people react. Does he respond to a kick in the butt, or does he need encouragement because he's self-critical? I take the time and effort to get the best out of every individual, not out of fear but out of love.

Former UCLA coach Jim Mora swears by you, but in SI, he called you "a challenge -- but he's a fun challenge, a great challenge and an interesting challenge." What do you think he meant by that?
I think if you can take radioactive material and concentrate it, you can get something real special out of it.

You're that material?
Yeah. People go, "He's radioactive!" But that's pretty powerful if you know how to point it in the right direction.

We're almost done with your flaws.
All good.

You're enjoying this?
Absolutely.

You're too smart.
There are NFL guys who are mathematicians. I'm not that smart. I don't have the raw IQ that others do. I'm just curious. I like reading and learning, and because I value authenticity, I'll talk about it.

Is it true that your former position coach, Marques Tuiasosopo, started meetings with a two-minute "Josh period," where you could express that curiosity before focusing on football?
[Laughs] We'd just come in early and shoot the s--- about what's going on in the world. But my curiosity applies to football too. One of the things I appreciate about [ex-UCLA offensive coordinator Jedd] Fisch is he teaches us the history of plays and why we're calling them. Why are we calling this play and what are we trying to get out it? If I'm not asking those questions, there's a disconnect between what me and my offensive coordinator are thinking. I'm a people-pleaser. Tell me why and I'll execute it.

Your high school coach said you're also curious about religion, and while you're Jewish, you attended Mass every Sunday.
That's right. I went to a Catholic school, and it was cool to learn. You have to have an open mind. It'd be naive to think you're just born into the right religion that will get you into heaven. My opinion will evolve and grow. Where do you sit on it?

I'm Muslim by heritage, and I used to attend Mass too, but it was partly to impress a Catholic girlfriend. Now I'm agnostic.
[Laughs] Same. But agnostic and atheist are loaded words -- people get scared, like, "Whoa!" Look, I don't know, and I don't think it's possible to know. Don't tell me how to live my life, but I'd love to hear about how you live yours.

What else are you curious about presently?
Film. I'm a big documentary guy. I just saw Icarus. That was pretty good. And I love every Christopher Nolan movie. Especially Interstellar. I'm a big Neil deGrasse Tyson fan. I've read all his books -- now I'm on Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. I watched the whole Cosmos series. And I'm a huge fan of Elon Musk. I think he's getting ready to nuke the poles, spark some global warming over there --

Wait, slow down, bro. What are we talking about right now?
[Laughs] Not to sound like a nerd, but Elon's goal with Mars is to find a way to speed up the greenhouse effect, heat up the planet and grow vegetation, possibly by launching nuclear warheads at the poles. You know how a volcano erupts and ash suffocates Earth? If you do that on Mars -- see, now people will go, "He's too smart!" No, I just think it's cool! [Laughs] I'm not smart enough to be an astrophysicist. I'm curious enough to read what they want to tell me.

Who are your heroes?
My dad. He's led -- have you done research on his career?"

A little bit.
I'll send you an article. Remind me. But basically, he's fought pharmaceutical companies and corruption in the medical industry his entire life. He's gone David vs Goliath time and time again and won every time. He's a moral person who does what's right. And, yeah, maybe he was removed from Obama's shortlist because he's controversial -- or the titans in the industry don't agree with him. But that's where my charitable impulse comes from -- my dad.

We're at the last knock on you: He has too many outside interests and is overly opinionated.
I want to comment on "overly opinionated." I'm not saying, "I'm right, you're wrong." I'm saying, "Tell me your opinion and let's find common ground." My opinions are out there so they can be molded and so I can learn.

But you're expressing these opinions in an age when some people want athletes to shut up and dribble.
That minority will go away -- not completely, but I'm sorry, you're not winning this one. You won't successfully get people to stop caring for other people. Not happening.

As a pro, will you continue to speak up, or will you shut up and throw?
Both. I think I need to shut up and throw when I get there. I do want to get involved in my community immediately. But the main thing is the main thing. J.J. Watt is a guy I admire, the way he balances the two. Athletes have a platform. It'd be selfish to shut up and throw, get paid, go to the Bahamas. It's selfless to be J.J. Watt.

To which causes will you lend your voice as a pro?
I think it'll evolve, but one cause I'll champion is the environment. It touches everything. I mean, the war in Syria started because of the drought and famine that destabilized the country and led the population to revolt against the government. I know global warming is a partisan issue for some stupid reason, but it touches everything.

Keep in mind, the NFL isn't the NBA, where marquee names regularly critique the occupant of the White House, for example. Clearly, you lean liberal. Are you going to stay out of politics as a pro?
My dad voted for Donald Trump and contributed to his campaign. [Laughs] My mom is a strong feminist liberal. That's how I'm learning compromise. I'm not going to be political; I'm just going to do what I believe is right, and if that happens to fall on the political spectrum, so be it. But there's a time and a place for it. You might not want to speak against the president in the playoffs or before you have a starting job on a team and actually have a voice.

Will you continue to advocate on behalf of student-athletes as a pro?
Yeah. I don't know how, but it's something I'll continue to fight for. I just hope people understand it comes from a good place. I'm not trying to mess up a system; I just care for other people.

Rosen surveys the field against the Arizona State Sun Devils at the 2017 Rose Bowl. Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and your fellow Bruin Lonzo Ball are among the pros to recently challenge so-called amateur status. Was it a mistake for you to do so while still in school?
No, but how I did it was. Slighting my own college on its apparel deal on Instagram wasn't very intelligent. The message needed shaping. But as a pro, I'll have resources to get things done, affect things, not just with opinions in the news. One of the reasons I came out of college was to actually have the resources to do, like, a massive beach cleanup.

At UCLA, you spoke about athletes "who are living in [a] team room because they can't make a security deposit." Did you see that at UCLA?
Yeah, absolutely. A lot of these guys, if they don't get food from the team, they're not going to eat. Food budgets are starting to increase around the country. I know [new UCLA coach] Chip Kelly is pushing it as far as he can. Same thing with gas. They can't see their family if they can't afford to drive. How are you going to recruit a poor kid from Louisiana to UCLA if you have to tell them they can't see their family over Christmas because we can't fly them back? Those are the disparities that make you bummed out.

What's the fix?
If you want to fix the NCAA, the time, effort and intention must be there. Smart people have to get in a room and take opinions from students, ADs, commissioners, TV partners. It'll be messy, it'll be complicated, but if it's going to help a few kids' lives, it's worth it.

But that's for smart people to figure out -- and that's not you, apparently.
I think the answer is the untapped revenue stream in marketing. Because players aren't allowed to use their names and likeness, I think there's a space where the NCAA permits marketability to some extent, and that revenue stream could be divided up.

Maybe you should be in that room after all.
I have a 60-page document on it that I can show you after this. [Laughs] But I don't want people to know it's actually written.

 

Clearly, you've got a good mind and designs on how to use it. Are you worried --
I don't have designs. I have intentions to find those designs. Like, "How are you going to save the world, man?" I don't know, I just know I want to. [Laughs] In time, I'll figure it out.

Well, you'll need a functioning brain for that. Are you worried about damaging it playing this game?
Absolutely. I haven't run into any issues, but I'm acutely aware of them. It's scary, but we all accept that, playing this game. Football is football. I don't know enough to make a judgment on it. I'm not going to say anything about CTE and concussions until I know all the facts.

Since we're getting all deep and everything, what do you want out of life, Josh?
I want to be happy, but happiness is a weird thing. You can't be happy all the time. You have to fluctuate. I want to find purpose. One of the reasons I left school early is I felt like I was chasing a bunch of different things: trying to get A's in class, being good on the field, networking professionally. Right now, I want to be the best QB that I possibly f---ing can be. When the NFL decides I suck, I want to be the absolute best at the next thing in my life.

[tiamat63]

Thanks, Flugs.