Jim Mora coached NFL quarterback prospect Josh Rosen at UCLA until he got fired near the end of Rosen's final college season, which is why it came as a surprise to hear Mora criticize Rosen with the NFL Draft less than a month away. First, Mora said that he believes former USC quarterback Sam Darnold would be a better fit for the Browns at No. 1 overall. And then, Mora told Peter King of The MMQB that Rosen is a millennial who "needs to be challenged intellectually so he doesn't get bored."

Appearing on NFL Network on Monday, Mora fought back against the narrative that says he's sabotaging his former player's draft stock, making it clear how he feels about Rosen.

"Listen, I have been very clear, very consistent, and I believe very complimentary towards Josh Rosen. I don't think I've made a statement in the negative about him," he said. "This is a tremendous young man, who is a great player. He is dedicated to the game. I've tried to be very clear about how I feel. It's interesting that a statement that one player may be a better fit for a team than another can be construed as negative. I love this young man. I think he's going to be a great player."

Mora, who added that he's texted with Rosen as recently as this past weekend, said that he believes Rosen is the best player in the draft, but stuck by his stance that he might not be a perfect fit with the Browns. In his response, he revealed that he thinks Rosen would fit in well with Giants coach Pat Shurmur and Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates -- two teams that will be on the clock immediately after the Browns.

"Do I think he's the best quarterback in the draft? No, I think he's the best player in the draft. How about that?" Mora said. "Does that mean I think he's a fit for every team? No. I think that being schooled by Pat Shurmur -- great fit for a guy that's as smart as Josh Rosen. To be in a room with Jeremy Bates -- great fit for a guy like Josh Rosen. And I think he'll excel."

Mora also clarified that his comments about Rosen needing to be challenged intellectually, which Rosen perfectly responded to on Twitter, were intended as a compliment. 

"You know what, being a young man that needs to be intellectually challenged is a positive," Mora said. "That says that he is very, very smart and he wants to understand the game. Saying that he wants to understand why he's doing things speaks to his engagement, his willingness to really embrace what you're asking him to do so that he can do it at a higher level."

Later he said, "To be intellectually challenged and ask why, hey, those are great qualities if you handle it the right way. ... This guy is going to have the ball in his hands every single down. You want him to have a complete understanding of what you're asking him to do and why you're asking him to do it. If he just goes along for the ride, that's not full commitment. And I think what you're going to get with this guy is full commitment. Hopefully we can all put it to bed."

Mora's right -- not about Rosen being the best player in the draft, because nobody on the planet can actually know if that's true or not, but he's right about the being "intellectually challenged" aspect. Dolphins coach Adam Gase has repeatedly talked about how future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning would question him all the time. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has said something similar about Tom Brady. Asking questions and needing to be intellectually stimulated should be qualities that NFL quarterbacks are required to possess. If anything, Mora's comments now almost kinda sorta read as an indictment of the Browns, considering he thinks Rosen would be a better fit with the Giants and Jets. 

And so, that should end the controversy ... until the next one springs up, of course. The NFL Draft, which will take place at the end of April, is still nearly four weeks away. So, it's only a matter of time until another controversial evaluation about another highly touted prospect blows up. 

Until next time ...