ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- We have our first 2018 NFL Draft vendetta.
"I was pretty pissed off when I fell," said new Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen, who fell to Arizona at No. 10 overall Thursday night. "One, two and three went by and it just kind of was a blur after that."
In a loaded quarterback class, the former UCLA star was widely expected to come off the board within the first five picks. But after seeing Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen all selected with the top seven picks, Rosen finally landed in the desert after the Cardinals traded up. The slide only served to increase the size of the already large chip on Rosen's shoulder.
"The biggest thing was motivation. I felt determined," he declared.
Rosen was complimentary of his new franchise, citing the chance to work alongside Sam Bradford and Larry Fitzgerald, calling the latter "one of the greatest to ever do it." But after a long, exhausting draft season that included plenty of cross-country flights and lots of interviews that had little to do with football, the Cardinals' new quarterback is ready to get back to doing what he does best.
"I get to play football again," he said. "I get to work out and I get to really chase what matters and that's playing in February."
As for the teams that passed on him? Rosen has a message.
"Nine mistakes were made ahead of me," said Rosen. "And I will make sure over the next decade or so that they will know that they made a mistake."
NFL teams, you've been put on notice.
