It was on March 10th 2015 the Eagles officially acquired Sam Bradford from the then, St. Louis Rams. The Eagles sent two draft picks, and Nick Foles to the Rams in order to pry the former rookie of the year away. Many fans did not embrace this trade with open arms.
It was obvious Bradford had skill, being the first overall selection in 2010, and a rookie of the year award, but what he also had were two major knee injuries. In addition to his injury history Bradford lacked mobility, which seemed to put him out of place for Chip Kelly’s system which prioritized speed, and efficiency from all positions. Nevertheless, the Eagles now had a legitimate starting quarterback that was ready to prove himself.
One year later, and the situation remains the same. Bradford had an average year with the Eagles in 2015, throwing 19 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and playing in 14 total games. Not the type of year Eagles’ fans were hoping to see from their new quarterback, but the blame could not be squarely placed on Bradford’s shoulders. Eagles’ receivers led the league in drops, with 31, the offensive line was terribly understaffed, there was almost no run game to speak of, and Chip Kelly’s fast paced system, which did not allow Bradford to audible, killed drives in less than a minute. When considering all these factors working against him, it is astonishing how well Bradford played in the 2015 season.
The front office seemed to agree with this point, after purging Chip Kelly, and most of his acquisitions, the Eagles still had faith in the former Arkansas star. This faith was evidenced by a two-year, $35 million contract extension signed in the early stages of the offseason. It appeared the Eagles were giving Bradford a pass on his first year, and justifiably so. Bradford nowhad another chance to prove himself, and potentially become the Eagles starting quarterback for the rest of his career.
At least, that is what it looked like. The Eagles surprised many when they moved up a total of 11 spots in the 2016 NFL draft, to nab Carson Wentz. As surprising as this was for fans, and analysts, it surprised no one more than Bradford.
Bradford did not react well to the news, by skipping practices, and requesting a trade. The Eagles however, did not appease this request, and maintained that Bradford was their starting quarterback for the 2016 season. This story died quickly when Bradford eventually attended the offseason workouts, and clarified that he was committed to the team.
As the season slowly approaches questions about the quarterback competition, and cohabitation between Bradford, Wentz,and the recently signed Chase Daniel, will undoubtedly flood Eagles’ press conferences. For now, Bradford is the starting quarterback, and will be heavily analyzed by fans, coaches, and the media. How Bradford will handle all of this noise is what will certainly be the most interesting part of this whole situation.
If Bradford plays poorly, then this team will turn to Carson Wentz and a new era will begin for the Eagles. If Bradford plays lights out, which he has the ability to do, the Eagles will find themselves in a complicated situation. If the latter situation comes to pass, the Eagles will have an embarrassment of riches in the quarterback position, and will have to make some difficult decisions. Either way, Sam Bradford is definitely a player everyone should watch for this upcoming season, to see if he can finally prove himself.
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