There is one question at the base of every trade rumor linking Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen and the Giants.

If the Giants didn’t want Rosen as a fundamentally sound prospect with NFL-caliber footwork, mechanics and pocket poise in the 2018 NFL Draft, why would they change their minds after an underwhelming rookie season?

Giants coach Pat Shurmur can’t talk about Rosen because that would be tampering under NFL rules, but he can speak in general terms about the development stage between a player’s first and second seasons. So, that’s what he was asked.

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“I think all rookies at some point when the season is over, they all have an Aha! moment,” Shurmur said. "When they get ready for this season, ‘Wow, I didn’t know anything last year.’

“We all have had that where we do something the second time. Rookies can really dig in (for Year 2) and not have to worry about this or that. They come in with a clearer focus about what the job is and they can pick up the pace of improvement.”

Is it any different for a quarterback given the huge learning curve associated with the position?

“Probably,” Shurmur said, “because the focus is always on the QB a little bit.”

Rosen, who was drafted No. 10 overall and fourth among the five first-round quarterbacks, went 3-10 as a starter. He completed 55.2 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

The Manning brothers are two of the most prominent examples of a Year 1 to Year 2 turnaround.

Peyton went 3-13 and led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie in 1998. One year later, he went 13-3 and earned his first of 14 Pro Bowl selections.

Eli went 1-6 with two games where he had a quarterback rating of less than 16.9 as a rookie who took over at midseason for Kurt Warner in 2004. He led the Giants to a playoff berth in his first full season starting.

On Shurmur’s resume, he saw Donovan McNabb go 2-4 as a rookie replacement for Doug Pederson for the Eagles in 1999. He rebounded with a Pro Bowl selection and playoff berth in his second season.

The flip side is 2010 NFL Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford, whose record and statistics fell off drastically in his second season with the Rams.

“The way your team is set up, you try and make the best of that,” Shurmur said. “You are trying to bring all your players along, get them on the field and play winning football. When that happens, it happens.”

Any team that trades for Rosen will owe him about $6.2 million in salary and bonuses over the next three seasons.

The Cardinals have not committed to trading him and probably won’t until they know for sure they will make Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray the No. 1 pick in the draft. Even then, they could keep Rosen as a backup unless their asking price is met.

Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.