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As the Giants continue to ponder their future at quarterback, Josh Rosen will be part of the discussion at least between now and the NFL Draft.
But what happens if the Arizona Cardinals don't start fielding offers for Rosen until the draft is underway?
That problematic scenario is certainly one possibility, according to multiple NFL sources. At the moment, those sources said, there is no indication the Cardinals have already made Rosen available, even though they are widely expected to draft Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. Those sources believe the Cardinals are considering not discussing possible deals for Rosen until after they draft Murray, as a way to keep their options open and not tip their hand.
There was also a report from the NFL Network that said the Cardinals would consider keeping both Rosen and Murray, though that seems unlikely and at least one source said "that sounds like a smokescreen."
Regardless, just the idea that the Cardinals will offer no clarity on Rosen until after they make the first overall pick on April 25 is a problem for any team like the Giants that might consider acquiring the 22-year-old, who was the 10th overall pick of last year's draft. It's hard to plan - especially at such an important position -- not knowing if Rosen will be available or what the price might be.
At the moment, it's not clear how seriously the Giants are considering Rosen, only that they have discussed the possibility of trading for him internally, as SNY has reported. It's also not clear how they rate Rosen compared to the other quarterbacks in this year's draft, though most scouts seem to put him at or near the top of the crop.
But if the Giants decide they're interested enough in Rosen to talk to the Cardinals, and if the Cards draft Murray and then put Rosen on the block, there appears to be several ways this could quickly unfold:
1) Giants draft a quarterback No. 6, regardless
They seem to be leaning towards a defensive player here, but if they decide they like Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins -- and like him better than Rosen -- then Rosen's availability won't matter if Haskins is still available.
2) Giants immediately try to deal for Rosen after Cardinals draft Murray with a No. 17 pick deadline
Again, with the Giants apparently leaning towards a defensive player at 6, pick 17 seems the more likely spot for them to take a QB - probably either Missouri's Drew Lock or Duke's Daniel Jones.
So the Giants could have a few hours to strike a deal with Arizona. They won't give up a first-round pick for him. But maybe they'll give up their second-rounder. If a deal can be struck, great. Then they take another defender, an offensive lineman, or receiver at 17. If not, they can still consider Lock or Jones if they're there.
3) Giants trade down from 17 and buy themselves even more time to consider a first-round QB
They're not desperate to trade down since they have 12 picks, but if they can pick up an extra second or third-rounder, they'd consider it. There seems to be a lot of potential value even late in the first round this year.
The problem with this is that it seems almost certain that four of the quarterbacks will be gone in the first 20 or so picks. But maybe Jones is still available late, or West Virginia's Will Grier whom many view as a second-rounder anyway.
4) Giants pass on a first-round QB, then have all night to discuss trading their second-round pick for Rosen
This may end up being the most likely scenario. There are a lot of people who think the Giants will pass on the quarterbacks in this draft regardless. They'll go defense at 6, and then maybe offensive line or receiver at 17, if not another defender. They can still discuss trading the most valuable draft asset they seem willing to give up - the 37th overall pick - for a player who went 10th the previous year. Of course, if they can't strike a deal, they will have punted their quarterback decision into 2020.
5) Cardinals trade Rosen elsewhere
This is definitely possible, especially with the Redskins reportedly being very interested. The Giants won't trade a first-rounder, aren't a lock to trade their second, and their third-round pick is low (95th). Other teams may have more to offer, or might just be more interested than the Giants end up being.
If that happens, the Giants can only hope it happens early enough to make an educated decision on the quarterbacks in the first round before they make their picks.