Arizona Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford happy to mentor Josh Rosen

Just like his predecessor, Steve Wilks came up with three important words he wants the Cardinals to embrace. For Bruce Arians, those words were trust, loyalty and respect. Wilks’ three philosophical elements aren’t much different and they carry the same weight.

Trust. Accountability. Commitment.

And in case any of his players forget, the first-year head coach had those three words emblazoned on a track and field hurdle that is kept in the middle of the Cardinals’ locker room, protected by four stanchions with velvet rope. It’s an unsubtle way of reminding everyone to work hard together for the common good of the team.

When it comes to veteran players embracing rookies and helping them find their way in the NFL through mentoring and offering teachable moments, that unbreakable bond of unity can be tested. As wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald noted last week, teams don’t bring in big batches of young players every single year for their health.

“They’re bringing them in here to get an opportunity to take your job,” Fitzgerald said. “And that’s not lost on me, ever.”

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So imagine how veteran quarterback Sam Bradford must have felt when, after signing a one-year, $20 million deal with the Cardinals in March, the team turned around a month later and moved up in the draft to select UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick.

Established quarterbacks haven’t always gotten along with their young understudies. There have been some notable rocky relationships, from Joe Montana and Steve Young in San Francisco to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. In Pittsburgh, meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger wasn't pleased about the Steelers drafting quarterback Mason Rudolph in the third round this year.

He emphasized the point by implying he wouldn’t help mentor Rudolph, although Roethlisberger has since said he was only joking and that the two were getting along nicely during offseason workouts. And just this week, Favre said he finally has mended fences with Rodgers and that the two are continuing to work on their relationship.

As for Bradford and Rosen? From the moment the Cardinals drafted Rosen, Bradford has offered to help groom and guide the rookie. He got Rosen’s cell phone number from the team and assured Rosen of that pledge via a text message. It’s all a part of those three little words that matter so much to Wilks and the Cardinals – trust, accountability and commitment.

Bradford has also reached out to Chad Kanoff, the Cardinals’ undrafted rookie free agent out of Princeton, and offered to lend a hand.

“I’m an open book, ask me anything. I’ll give you everything I’ve got,” Bradford said he told them both. “I’ve gone through quite a bit in my career just as far as different offenses. I’ve seen a lot of different offenses so I feel like I’m fairly knowledgeable in some of the schemes and some of the schemes that we’re doing.

“I’m more than happy to help and just try to show them the way that I work, the way that I prepare, and hopefully they take something from that.”

Rosen takes aim

Football is a ruthless sport by nature, but it doesn’t have to be divisive in the workplace between teammates, even when you know you’re helping someone who eventually is going to be your replacement. In Rosen’s case, that could come sooner than Bradford wants.

Rosen looked incredibly comfortable and confident while taking much of the first-team reps during offseason workouts as Bradford and his gimpy left knee were slowly eased into action.

“He’s helping me out a ton," Rosen said during last week’s three-day minicamp, in which Bradford took most of the snaps. “He's giving me a lot of pointers." 

Veterans aren’t required to play nice and teach. It’s not written into their contract and it doesn’t pay them any bonus money. In that regard, the veteran quarterback who mentored Roethlisberger said he can understand why Big Ben wasn’t quite ready to bend over backward to help Rudolph.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say he owes it. That kind of gets into a little bit of a slippery slope,” Tommy Maddox, whom Roethlisberger replaced as a rookie in 2004, told ESPN. “His job is to win football games right now.”

Roethlisberger is 36. Bradford doesn’t turn 31 until November. They’re both getting paid to win games, although again, in Bradford’s case, he’ll have to beat out Rosen in training camp and the preseason to get first dibs.

Bradford has praised Rosen.

“He’s done a great job. I think I’ve been impressed just with his ability to grasp things, mentally,” Bradford said, adding of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, “Coach has thrown a lot at all of us in trying to learn the system and it’s tough for a rookie to be able to come in and to understand everything that’s being asked of him and I think he’s done a tremendous job of that.

“And then physically, he’s just really gifted. You can see he can make all the throws. He’s got plenty of arm strength to push the ball outside the numbers, to push it down the field.”

Those are the kinds of comments that would make Carson Palmer proud. Before retiring after last season as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback following a 15-year NFL career, Palmer reiterated just how much his first mentor, Jon Kitna, helped him along the way.

“Probably the most instrumental individual in my career,” Palmer said. “It was only for a handful of years but he continued to mentor me when he was in Detroit, when he was in Dallas. He’s what you want in the quarterback room, a guy that’s stable. He’s a great role model for teammates, a great father role model. There was a lot to look up to. There still is.

“I still have a great relationship with him and appreciate what he did for me early on. He’s a true vet and a true mentor.”

Who knows? Perhaps Rosen will one day say same the same things about Bradford.

Rosen, Bradford and starter's role

The rookie was incredibly complimentary of the veteran after Bradford reached out via text and offered his help in any way possible.

“I think it speaks to him as a person and how he’s willing to embrace the competition and the team aspect,” Rosen said. “And I’m the same way. Regardless of starter-backup, I want the Arizona Cardinals to do the best possible because I want to be in a Super Bowl. If at least for this year the best way to do that is have Sam starting, then so be it, and I’m going to push him every single day.”

Rosen’s made so much progress in such short order, there’s been a buzz around the league that he could leapfrog backup Mike Glennon and actually win the starting quarterback job over Bradford.

“I think he’ll beat out Sam Bradford in training camp, I really do,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said.

“I’m fully expecting Josh Rosen to win this job,” echoed Steve Wyche, another analyst for the NFL Network.

Wilks said Bradford will enter camp next month as the starter, but also repeatedly stated that the best 11 players will start. That’s been enough to make Rosen happy.

“Sure, I’d be excited if I was just a fan of the Cardinals and that was my head coach saying the best 11 dudes are playing,” he said. “There’s no favorites, no nothing. As a player that’s awesome because I know I’m going to get a fair shot at getting on the field.”