Bradford wants out of Philly?

[swardboy]

According to Adam Schefter this morning. Very confusing....Yahoo article earlier said he intended to stay. But according to Schefter Sam says he won't be participating in any further Eagle practices, which is pretty specific.I think Philly threw him a curveball with the trade up to the #2 pick. He was probably thinking about how they could firm up the team in the draft, not about an obvious QB heir. Boy howdy, he sure put Philly in an awful position less than a week from the draft...maybe that's the intent.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Lots of bitching from a guy who has only played two full season in the six since he's been drafted. One and a half seasons totally missed to injury. Only 25 career wins.

And, he's demanding what teams do with him? Give a team two or three full years and a couple of winning seasons before you start demanding things.

Sheesh. You think he'd be happy that anyone at all would even consider him at this point. He's proven nothing at all other than how fragile his body and - now - his ego are.

[BoulderSooner79]

It seems a bit out of character given his past behavior as a team guy. He could be doing what his agent is advising him to do too. Given how much guaranteed $$ he has already banked and how (if true) conservative he is about spending it, he may not care about money anymore. He may just care about playing in the right situation and Philly ain't it.

[rock on sooner]

Given the Philly fan base and the verified fact that they boo Santa Claus,
I don't blame Sam for wanting out,(if true) and, yeah the team trading
to get a 2nd pick in the entire draft usually means a franchise QB. I'd
like to see him go to a team that I can root for, as in Broncos or maybe
the Broncos or quite possibly the pro franchise in Denver.....

[BoulderSooner79]

I'd like to see Sam as a Bronco too, but they were not exactly loaded on offense or OL.
Amazing they won the SB with just a dominant defense and a barely acceptable offense
that made just enough critical plays. And they lost a lot of talent on defense to free agency,
so I could see them sinking back to average team level.

[rock on sooner]

Welp, an average Bronco team is better by a factor of four over a Philly
bunch.....just my opinion....

[BoulderSooner79]

I agree and the Broncos certainly need a QB. The new rules prohibiting chop blocks
*should* make Denver more QB friendly. Depends on how Kubiak responds since the
old Bronco zone blocking run game depends on chop blocks. They will have to depend
more on the passing game than Kubiak wanted and Sam would certainly be an
upgrade to what was left in Manning's arm.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

It seems a bit out of character given his past behavior as a team guy. He could be doing what his agent is advising him to do too. Given how much guaranteed $$ he has already banked and how (if true) conservative he is about spending it, he may not care about money anymore. He may just care about playing in the right situation and Philly ain't it.I just want to see him playing behind a line that can really protect him, and have some really good receivers...I know, a lot to ask.

[BoulderSooner79]

I'd rather see Bradford save his noggin and ditch football and see if he is good enough to make the pro golf circuit. Of course landing on the right team to collect a super bowl ring and then retire to golf wouldn't suk either.

[hawaii 5-0]

Even if he stayed in Philly he'd draw good money for sitting on the bench. I can understand his wanting to be on the field tho.

5-0

[badger]

I get that people want to label him a bust because $50 million guaranteed no playoffs lots of injuries blah blah, but this guy was the offensive rookie of the year and despite having to learn a new offense pretty much every season of his career, he was ready to stay in Philadelphia under yet another head coach and learning yet another new system and...

That's the NFL for players. It's why average careers are over in less than three seasons. It's why players care more about guaranteed money than overall contract value.

Remind me again why taxpayers finance NFL stadiums so that TV viewers can see a fraction of the number of college games we can see any given week during the season?

[TheHumanAlphabet]

TDTW, you are a bit harsh... The Rams used him (and used him up) like Houston used David Carr. Hell is I were Sam, take the bank, get traded to a good team and sit on bench as #2. Enjoy life and guaranteed money. Retire after several more years without getting pounded.

[TAFBSooner]

Remind me again why taxpayers finance NFL stadiums . . .

I could but you get banned for discussing "many"+"small bloodsuckers" on this forum.

[SoonerorLater]

I can't think of any QB that would have prospered under Bradford's circumstances. He has had the misery of playing behind some of the worst OL's in the NFL. Never had a legit big time receiver, really never had a good NFL number 1 type receiver and has gone through OC's like Spinal Tap went through drummers.....Now he finds out that instead of filling holes on the OL or finding a top-flight receiver they are drafting another QB, while he takes another year of beatings, to let his replacement learn the system.

If I were Bradford I would be mad to. Eagles management has put him in a terrible position.

[badger]

I was in the opposite-of-awe watching Sam's passes bounce off receivers' hands. Same for when I heard that Philly receivers were dropping because Sam was throwing to them where they were about to take a hit.

Growing up on the pro game, I was amazed at how many passes were dropped in college, because I was used to NFL receivers almost-never dropping, even though practically every throw was into traffic, near the sidelines/endlines, and yes, where receivers were about to take a monster hit.

Regardless, I stand by Sam Bradford, whatever his decision is, because he's a good guy and a good quarterback, even if the rest of the football world doesn't agree. It's like when he helicoptered into OSU's endzone --- was it Sam doing everything he could to score (from OU fans' eyes), or not scoring (from contrarian perspectives). I am on the side of the helicopter-is-awesome :D

[Tear Down This Wall]

I can't think of any QB that would have prospered under Bradford's circumstances. He has had the misery of playing behind some of the worst OL's in the NFL. Never had a legit big time receiver, really never had a good NFL number 1 type receiver and has gone through OC's like Spinal Tap went through drummers.....Now he finds out that instead of filling holes on the OL or finding a top-flight receiver they are drafting another QB, while he takes another year of beatings, to let his replacement learn the system.

If I were Bradford I would be mad to. Eagles management has put him in a terrible position.

Eagles management has put him in a terrible position? WTF are you talking about? They just gave him a $35 million contract with $22 million of it guaranteed!

He needs to shut up, stay healthy, and win more games. He's got plenty of money. What he doesn't have plenty of is on the field results in the NFL. That's on him.

Sorry, Bradford's a nice kid. But, here, he's moved himself into the category of just another multi-million dollar crybaby who doesn't want to compete for a starting job.

It's put up or shut up time for Sam. He's being well paid despite a not so great track record in the pros. He should be thankful, not sulking and threatening.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Sam just wants a better blocking line and better receivers. Hard to blame him for that.

[badger]

Eagles management has put him in a terrible position?
I get that it's on Sam to have signed a contract extension with the Eagles after they already fired Chip Kelly and set himself up to learn yet a new offense, which he's done practically every year of his professional career. Maybe he should have waited a fielded offers from the Broncos or 49ers. Or, perhaps he did and the Eagles made the best offer. Either way, he signed so he's seemingly stuck.

However, based on the fact that Sam Bradford has absolutely no history of being a diva and then suddenly acting like this, which seems completely out of character, I suspect that the Eagles during contract negotiations were like oh no no no, we're not going to draft a quarterback! We've got Chase Daniel as your backup and you as the starter and nobody else!

Does money, even "a $35 million contract with $22 million of it guaranteed," make the Eagles draft move easier to take?

[Tear Down This Wall]

I get that it's on Sam to have signed a contract extension with the Eagles after they already fired Chip Kelly and set himself up to learn yet a new offense, which he's done practically every year of his professional career. Maybe he should have waited a fielded offers from the Broncos or 49ers. Or, perhaps he did and the Eagles made the best offer. Either way, he signed so he's seemingly stuck.

However, based on the fact that Sam Bradford has absolutely no history of being a diva and then suddenly acting like this, which seems completely out of character, I suspect that the Eagles during contract negotiations were like oh no no no, we're not going to draft a quarterback! We've got Chase Daniel as your backup and you as the starter and nobody else!

Does money, even "a $35 million contract with $22 million of it guaranteed," make the Eagles draft move easier to take?

Sam Bradford, of all players, can't be this stupid. He was injured multiple times in college; and, he's been injured multiple times as a pro. He can't be so stupid as to understand that every team has to plan for its future - near future and the years to follow.

He's proven to be an injury risk: http://sportsinjurypredictor.com/injury-predictor/player/23976

The Eagles have to protect themselves at every position - and, some argue, there is no more important position than quarterback.

Sorry. Again, Sam's a good kid. But, this was a no-brainer for Philadelphia. Kelly left them with an injury-prone quarterback, whom they graciously re-signed. Neither the League nor the Eagles will fold once Sam retires, so Philadelphia is correct to draft based on their future with or without him.

Look at what a sorry state the Dallas Cowboys put themselves in by not drafting quarterbacks behind Tony Romo. When he's been injured, the Cowboys have been awful. You don't think their Division-mates, the Eagles, haven't taken notice of that?

[rock on sooner]

Amendola is the closest that Sam had for a decent wideout and, if
memory serves, few plays were called for him and when they were
he had hands of stone. No protection, mediocre running backs, a
new system every year, either in St. Louis or Philly...even DM couldn't
do anything behind Philly's line....no wonder "guaranteed $$$" was
in play. Heh, I bet that Sam still has most of the $50m from the Rams
in blue chip stocks and guaranteed annuities.

I saw a blurb where Denver and Philly couldn't agree on a deal for Sam
so the Broncos traded up and got a kid from Louisville or Memphis.

[swardboy]

I would just add Mark-freakin'-Clayton to Amendola. He was an immediate 100 yard per game receiver for the Rams when traded from Baltimore. I cried when he hurt his knee on a deep pass, never to return. Sam has only had those two produce.Tonight's second round draft may be the last chance for Philly to work out a trade, but it seems they're dead set on Bradford under center in 2016. What a mess.

[SoonerorLater]

Eagles management has put him in a terrible position? WTF are you talking about? They just gave him a $35 million contract with $22 million of it guaranteed!

He needs to shut up, stay healthy, and win more games. He's got plenty of money. What he doesn't have plenty of is on the field results in the NFL. That's on him.

Sorry, Bradford's a nice kid. But, here, he's moved himself into the category of just another multi-million dollar crybaby who doesn't want to compete for a starting job.

It's put up or shut up time for Sam. He's being well paid despite a not so great track record in the pros. He should be thankful, not sulking and threatening.


Yes! Terrible position. Didn't stutter. Money is great but Bradford already has plenty of it and if he gets smashed into the ground for another season he might not be enjoying any of it down the line. The Eagles gave away 5 draft picks that could have been used to help current needs. Without significant upgrades on the OL, Bradford will be looking at another season where lack of pass protection greatly increases his chance of season or career ending injury. Of course if that happens people like yourself will be saying that Bradford is injury prone and hasn't done anything in the NFL.

Bradford should use any leverage he can to get what he wants. The Eagles sure would and did.

[cvsooner]

If I were Sam I'd somehow injure myself pronto, take the money and leave the game. Not worth the hassle, the Eagles' contemptuous attitude and the risk of further, more serious injuries.

[rock on sooner]

I would just add Mark-freakin'-Clayton to Amendola. He was an immediate 100 yard per game receiver for the Rams when traded from Baltimore. I cried when he hurt his knee on a deep pass, never to return. Sam has only had those two produce.Tonight's second round draft may be the last chance for Philly to work out a trade, but it seems they're dead set on Bradford under center in 2016. What a mess.

I didn't count Mark in because it was so short lived....I'm guessing Wentz
gets his baptism not later than 3rd week of the regular season, but given
what Philly has up front it might be the 3rd week of preseason...sure wish
Sam could have been a Bronco...

[Eielson]

**** and moan all you want, but Bradford hasn't earned the right to hold out. He has been fragile, and that's not his O-line's fault. Bradford needs to prove he belongs.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

...Money is great but Bradford already has plenty of it and if he gets smashed into the ground for another season he might not be enjoying any of it down the line. The Eagles gave away 5 draft picks that could have been used to help current needs. Without significant upgrades on the OL, Bradford will be looking at another season where lack of pass protection greatly increases his chance of season or career ending injury. Of course if that happens people like yourself will be saying that Bradford is injury prone and hasn't done anything in the NFL.

Bradford should use any leverage he can to get what he wants. The Eagles sure would and did.Exactly! Excellent post.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

If I were Sam I'd somehow injure myself pronto, take the money and leave the game. Not worth the hassle, the Eagles' contemptuous attitude and the risk of further, more serious injuries.Kinda tacky, but not as tacky as what the Eagles did.

[BoulderSooner79]

**** and moan all you want, but Bradford hasn't earned the right to hold out. He has been fragile, and that's not his O-line's fault. Bradford needs to prove he belongs.

It doesn't require any rights to hold out - it's strictly a business contract issue. Perhaps you meant he has earned little leverage, but again, that's between him and the Eagles organization. I'm not following it closely, but i haven't read he is holding out. He is refusing to participate in *voluntary* off-season training. I know that the NFL culture has these workouts as anything but voluntary, but it is not yet a breech of contract. It is more a tweak to the beak (pun) of the Eagles and to show he is serious about wanting out. And there is nothing morally wrong about breech of contract either, IMO, if he is willing to pay the consequences. I'm sure the Eagles have fully protected themselves in such and event.

[Eielson]

It doesn't require any rights to hold out - it's strictly a business contract issue. Perhaps you meant he has earned little leverage, but again, that's between him and the Eagles organization. I'm not following it closely, but i haven't read he is holding out. He is refusing to participate in *voluntary* off-season training. I know that the NFL culture has these workouts as anything but voluntary, but it is not yet a breech of contract. It is more a tweak to the beak (pun) of the Eagles and to show he is serious about wanting out. And there is nothing morally wrong about breech of contract either, IMO, if he is willing to pay the consequences. I'm sure the Eagles have fully protected themselves in such and event.

I certainly don't mean he has no legal right. I guess he hasn't technically held out, but it's my understanding that he has stated he won't be back, so it seems he'll be officially holding out when the time comes. My point is that he's not a star, and should honestly feel blessed anybody would hand him that kind of money along with the keys to the team. Sure, Sam hasn't been handed the best circumstances, but when you're a star, you stop making excuses at some point. Sam changed scenery, and even Chip (the guy that made Foles look like a star) couldn't make it work.

I love Sam, and always will, but I'm not very proud of him at the moment. Philly gave him an opportunity, and he should be working as hard as he can to make the most of it.

[BoulderSooner79]

I understand Bradford doesn't have a strong NFL resume - I just don't see a reason to place moral judgement. The Eagles put him in a tough spot by trading up and taking a QB at #2 overall and now Sam is putting the Eagles in a tough spot by demanding a trade. It's not uncommon for players and teams to have an antagonistic relationship with only a contract (and agent) as a way to communicate. 2 yrs in the NFL is like dog years and he almost assuredly not going to start the whole time in Philly unless the new guy is a bust. So he would be 2 years older and starting over with a new team/coach/system. If his motivation really is to get a chance to be a long term starter and not to optimize income, this is probably a good gambit to play.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Sam Bradford is not in a tough spot. He's an overpaid, often injured NFL quarterback who is going to have to fight for the starting position. He should be happy to be overpaid, and man enough to compete with a rookie without the bitching.

Be a man, Sam!

[Pride1Mom]

He has been in the pros for five years, and has had five different offensive coaches. Last year he played very well, but then the Eagles cleans house, and it is starting all over again. Players have to develop a rhythm with each other to get it right. Especially with timing pass plays. I would think if you have a big investment you would want to make sure it was successful...but then what do I know.....

[Tear Down This Wall]

He has been in the pros for five years, and has had five different offensive coaches. Last year he played very well, but then the Eagles cleans house, and it is starting all over again. Players have to develop a rhythm with each other to get it right. Especially with timing pass plays. I would think if you have a big investment you would want to make sure it was successful...but then what do I know.....

You know what else hurts your "rhythm" with your teammates - being injured and missing seasons' worth of practices and games.

It doesn't matter how many excuses are made for Bradford - the premise of the thread was that Philly had put him in a tough situation by guarding their future. It's a joke. Every NFL has to protect themselves, especially at QB.

Bradford is a know injury risk. Any team in Philly's position would have done the same thing. Bradford, for his lot, needs to man up. He knows damn well the NFL is a business. St. Louis and Philly have given him plenty of bites at the apple as a starter. He hasn't been a superstar, or even consistent. So, he hasn't earned the right to bitch and moan about having to compete for his job.

If he loses it, he's a well paid clipboard holder. And, in the end, that may be the best thing for his long term health for the rest of his career - and, after.

[BoulderSooner79]

Philly did put Bradford in a tough situation considering his goal is a shot at long-term starter. Drafting a QB at #2 overall is not protecting their future - he *is* the designated future. Once it's clear the Eagles are not a playoff team around mid-season, Bradford will be benched regardless of how he has played. He'll still have market value (unless he gets hurt again), but he'll be a year older and will have sat on the bench at seasons end. Being a well paid clipboard holder may well be the best long term, but it's not relevant to what he has said he wants.

I'm not sure what happened here - it was either poor communication or the Eagles management changed their minds after Bradford signed the contract. But they hold all the cards, so I suspect it will play out exactly as it usually does - Bradford will start for the Eagles for 8-10 games and then be traded or waived before next season with less chance at being long term starter than he had a month ago.

[Tear Down This Wall]

NEWSFLASH: The NFL isn't about an individual player's wants - especially when the individual player in question has played two full seasons out of six since he's been drafted.

Also, if a franchise only gives you a two year contract, they are not looking at you as a long term solution - especially at quarterback. Franchise-type QBs get long-term deals.

Bradford is not a franchise quarterback; he is a band aid. The rookie will have a longer contract than Bradford. If Bradford wants to pout, he makes himself look very petty - especially since he's been given a ton of money to sit for a good portion of his career.

[BoulderSooner79]

Not a news flash. I'm just saying Bradford and agent are focused on what he wants and how best to get it - the NFL/Eagles will take care of themselves. Nothing wrong with that if he doesn't mind what people like you think about it - which he clearly doesn't. There was a disconnect between team and player as Bradford was fine with the short term contract until the trade-up to #2 for a QB. I think it would have been wise on the Eagles part to make that plan known before signing Bradford to set expectations correctly. Either Bradford (via agent) misunderstood or the Eagles kept the plan quiet or they changed their minds after Bradford signed. My guess is they changed their minds and took into account Bradford's likely reaction and decided the deal was worth it anyway. Just bidniz.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Not a news flash. I'm just saying Bradford and agent are focused on what he wants and how best to get it - the NFL/Eagles will take care of themselves. Nothing wrong with that if he doesn't mind what people like you think about it - which he clearly doesn't. There was a disconnect between team and player as Bradford was fine with the short term contract until the trade-up to #2 for a QB. I think it would have been wise on the Eagles part to make that plan known before signing Bradford to set expectations correctly. Either Bradford (via agent) misunderstood or the Eagles kept the plan quiet or they changed their minds after Bradford signed. My guess is they changed their minds and took into account Bradford's likely reaction and decided the deal was worth it anyway. Just bidniz.

I doubt they're worried about it. New head coach Pederson had them sign Chase Daniels, who has already worked in the playbook from his three prior seasons in KC with Pederson. So, Bradford or not, the players will already have a quarterback at the off-season camps/training periods who can help them learn the offense on and off the field.

This is something that also bothers Bradford. But, he should be a pro about it. I think he's getting bad advice from his agent, personally, because this whole thing seems out of character from everything we've seen or heard out of Bradford. It's really dumb, too, because Bradford has no leverage - his agent should know that because he's the one who negotiated the deal.

Stupid.

[swardboy]

I hear that the Eagles receivers are going to boycott team activities until Sam returns. They're revolted at having to catch Daniel's passes with his boogers all over the balls.

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm sure the Eagles are not worried; as I said they must have taken Bradford's likely response into account and moved forward anyway. The reason I think this was a late change of direction is that it seemed silly to offer Bradford that much $$ in the first place given they had Daniels available for short term placeholder/groomer. That money could have been used for long term help at another position.

I also totally agree a lot of this is coming from his agent. Now whether it's bad advice may depends on factors we might not know. Condon is one of the most powerful agents in the NFL and must know a lot about most the teams around the league. It would make no sense for Condon to sour other teams on Bradford for next year as that is the most likely chance for a trade. The current public stance may be just to force the Eagles to be more flexible in their trade demands next time around. It could also be that Bradford has said he would rather retire than be stuck in a short term or back-up situation, so he's willing to risk the consequences of a real holdout.

[SoonerorLater]

Even though Sam has never said he will not live up to his contract (the letter of his contract) it wouldn't surprise me to see him retire if he isn't traded. Too much animosity without any real middle ground for either side. It's not just hard feelings between Eagles management and Bradford. Philly Fans (all sports) are the worst most caustic SOB's in pro sports. These are the fans in the city that booed Mike Schmidt probably the most successful figure in Philadelphia sports history. Eagles fans would make Bradford's year miserable.

Bradford was looking for a situation where he could become a franchise QB. Could he have done that? Maybe, maybe not. One thing is for sure, he would never have signed the contract with the Eagles if they hadn't given him assurances he was their guy. Call it bad faith bargaining but the Eagles if they didn't outright lie to Bradford they sure didn't tell the whole truth.

At this point it seems Bradford's best strategy is to create an atmosphere, without actually breaking the contract, where the Eagles consider any further relationship so toxic as to be irrevocably broken . At that point they well may decide to eat 11 mil in salary and move Bradford. If not then Bradford can either decide to sit on the bench and collect a check or retire.

[Eielson]

Philly did put Bradford in a tough situation considering his goal is a shot at long-term starter. Drafting a QB at #2 overall is not protecting their future - he *is* the designated future. Once it's clear the Eagles are not a playoff team around mid-season, Bradford will be benched regardless of how he has played.

That's just absolutely false. Wentz is not NFL-ready, and nobody is thrusting him out onto the field unless there's no other choice. He's not playing this year unless Bradford isn't available, or the Eagles are out of playoff contention. If Bradford stays healthy and leads the Eagles to the playoffs, I doubt Wentz sees the field much until year 3. By year 3, yes, they'll probably have to move on, but if Bradford takes care of business he's headed to a contender with pockets about $20M bigger each year. That's what he should be focused on. Instead he's pouting.

[BoulderSooner79]

Philly did put Bradford in a tough situation considering his goal is a shot at long-term starter. Drafting a QB at #2 overall is not protecting their future - he *is* the designated future. Once it's clear the Eagles are not a playoff team around mid-season, Bradford will be benched regardless of how he has played.


That's just absolutely false. Wentz is not NFL-ready, and nobody is thrusting him out onto the field unless there's no other choice. He's not playing this year unless Bradford isn't available, or the Eagles are out of playoff contention. If Bradford stays healthy and leads the Eagles to the playoffs, I doubt Wentz sees the field much until year 3. By year 3, yes, they'll probably have to move on, but if Bradford takes care of business he's headed to a contender with pockets about $20M bigger each year. That's what he should be focused on. Instead he's pouting.

I think we are seriously agreeing here - I'm just assuming the Eagles will be bad and it will be clear 8-10 games in that they won't make the playoffs. That's the way it often happens with a team that picks a QB high in the draft and they stick him out there whether or not he is ready. By taking a QB high, their top pick can't help them right away and then make it even worse short-term by trading away potential talent at other positions that could help. The NFL is unpredictable and it could turn out the Eagles are good and Sam is a key figure and ends up the real starter and Wentz becomes trade bait. But I'd bet against it.

[badger]

Their new mid-major guy threw shade at Sammie:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000659646/article/carson-wentz-doesnt-know-much-about-sam-bradford


"Yeah, I've seen him play a little bit," Wentz told Philly.com. "Obviously I know he was a top pick and everything, not too many years ago, and obviously I know he was with the Rams and everything, and now here.

"But you know, I haven't watched a ton of film on him," said Wentz. "I watched a lot of film on guys like (Tom) Brady and (Peyton) Manning and (Aaron) Rodgers, those types of things. So I don't know as much as some of the other guys."

This dork does not know what he's in for in Philly. I wish him nothing but whatever happened to David Carr in Houston :eek:

[Tear Down This Wall]

That's just absolutely false. Wentz is not NFL-ready, and nobody is thrusting him out onto the field unless there's no other choice. He's not playing this year unless Bradford isn't available, or the Eagles are out of playoff contention. If Bradford stays healthy and leads the Eagles to the playoffs, I doubt Wentz sees the field much until year 3. By year 3, yes, they'll probably have to move on, but if Bradford takes care of business he's headed to a contender with pockets about $20M bigger each year. That's what he should be focused on. Instead he's pouting.

This...146% this. That's why I think he's getting bad advice from his agent.

[SoonerorLater]

That's just absolutely false. Wentz is not NFL-ready, and nobody is thrusting him out onto the field unless there's no other choice. He's not playing this year unless Bradford isn't available, or the Eagles are out of playoff contention. If Bradford stays healthy and leads the Eagles to the playoffs, I doubt Wentz sees the field much until year 3. By year 3, yes, they'll probably have to move on, but if Bradford takes care of business he's headed to a contender with pockets about $20M bigger each year. That's what he should be focused on. Instead he's pouting.

He's nor pouting he's pissed. Big difference. The chance of Bradford having a long term career in Philly are close to zero. Philly management made it a near certainty when they drafted no help for Sam. No GM is going to pay what they did for Wentz and have him be an understudy to Bradford ad infinitum.

If there is any moving on to be done, then Bradford wants to do now, not later. Not throw 1-2 years away learning a new system, once again. The Eagles obfuscated their true intentions. If they would have told Bradford that they were going to give up 5 high round draft picks to get his replacement then he would never have signed the contract.

[BoulderSooner79]

If they would have told Bradford that they were going to give up 5 high round draft picks to get his replacement then he would never have signed the contract.

Everything points to this. Now you can certainly say that Bradford was naive and he should only have counted on what is laid out in the contract. I'm sure there is nothing in the contract that said he would have a fair opportunity to earn a long term contract. It could still happen if Wentz gets injured or is a total bust, but it seems clear that the Eagle's long term plan happens after Bradford is gone.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

He's nor pouting he's pissed. Big difference. The chance of Bradford having a long term career in Philly are close to zero. Philly management made it a near certainty when they drafted no help for Sam. No GM is going to pay what they did for Wentz and have him be an understudy to Bradford ad infinitum.

If there is any moving on to be done, then Bradford wants to do now, not later. Not throw 1-2 years away learning a new system, once again. The Eagles obfuscated their true intentions. If they would have told Bradford that they were going to give up 5 high round draft picks to get his replacement then he would never have signed the contract.Exactamundo

[Eielson]

I think we are seriously agreeing here - I'm just assuming the Eagles will be bad and it will be clear 8-10 games in that they won't make the playoffs. That's the way it often happens with a team that picks a QB high in the draft and they stick him out there whether or not he is ready. By taking a QB high, their top pick can't help them right away and then make it even worse short-term by trading away potential talent at other positions that could help. The NFL is unpredictable and it could turn out the Eagles are good and Sam is a key figure and ends up the real starter and Wentz becomes trade bait. But I'd bet against it.

I think that the Eagles will be eliminated 8-10 games into the season as well, but that's going have a lot to say about Sam. The NFL is such a QB-driven league that elite QB's like Brady, Brees, Manning, etc. were never eliminated from contention 8-10 games into the season if they were healthy for many years. If Sam plays like a top 10 QB, the Eagles are going to win plenty of games, and Sam is going to stay in charge of that team. He signed a 2 year contract, and I'm willing to bet the Eagles have every intention of giving him the keys for his two years. After that, yeah, it's Wentz's team, but the contract is over.

[Eielson]

No GM is going to pay what they did for Wentz and have him be an understudy to Bradford ad infinitum.

Of course. I absolutely agree with that. He's not the long-term answer in Philly, but what exactly has he done to earn that right?

This has Drew Brees/Philip Rivers written all over it. SD spent an early 2nd round draft pick on Brees in 2001. Over the next three years he threw 28 TD's and 31 INTs with a record of 10-17. Following that, Brees didn't look like the answer, and the Chargers selected Philip Rivers with the #4 pick. Brees turned his career around with a 51/22 TD/INT ratio and led the Chargers to a 20-11 record. Rivers was entering his third year, and the Chargers couldn't afford to keep both, so they chose to move forward with Rivers. Is this a gloomy story for Brees? Of course not! He went on the New Orleans Saints, and before long he was able to tell just about any team in the league how many 0's he wanted on his contract.

So that's where I stand. Bradford has an amazing opportunity in front of him, and he better take advantage of it while he still has the chance.

[BoulderSooner79]

This played out as I expected. Bradford (and agent) tried to force a trade, but there was no situation available out there. He only stayed away during voluntary training to show he was serious, but did not hold out. I saw nothing unprofessional or whiny about it. I can see from Bradford's point of view that it would be better to get the right situation now instead of a year (or 2) from now given the dogs-years nature of the profession. But it wasn't there, so the best plan B is to play the role available in Philly with full effort. I'd bet real money it will indeed be 1 year and not 2. Bradford is not a Brady/Manning level QB to carry a team, so it's hard to believe the Eagles will be any good this year. That doesn't mean there won't be teams wanting Sam next year. At any given time, only about 10 teams in the NFL are happy with their starting QB situation and they won't be as critical about Sam's stats as the people here. But that doesn't mean he'll ever find the right situation and sometimes it just a matter of luck.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Right situation? He's an NFL quarterback; but, not a very good one. NFL QBs who are not very good have no leverage. That is Sam Bradford.

Situation. Sheesh. Play better. How about that for a situation?

[BoulderSooner79]

Right situation? He's an NFL quarterback; but, not a very good one. NFL QBs who are not very good have no leverage. That is Sam Bradford.

Situation. Sheesh. Play better. How about that for a situation?

You could be right - or wrong. I'm sure there are plenty of good QBs that never made it due to never having the right situation. Kurt Warner couldn't even get into the league for 5 years and then hit he jackpot with the Rams. The great Johny U. was picked up on waivers after the Steelers dumped him. Plenty of other guys succeeded after early failures with the wrong team or coach.

So what would be a great situation for Sam? Since he is accurate and has a quick release, but limited mobility, he has to have a team with a top quartile O-line and at least effective skill players around him. They wouldn't need to be stars, but effective by NFL standards. And of course, it has to be a team with all these pieces that are looking for a new starting QB. The last part is easy as 2/3 of the teams are not satisfied at QB, but the other aspects are a crap shoot. And as you say, even if this happens, he just may not be good enough but I'd love to see him get that chance. It's highly unlikely to happen in Philly.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Look, I love Sam Bradford for what he did here, but he's not a good NFL quarterback.

Tom Brady has had a different cast of WRs and RBs almost every season, and the Patriots still win because...for Brady it doesn't matter.

Troy Aikman had a "Triplets" set-up. Brady's whole career has been anti-Triplets. This isn't pre-1995 NFL football. Free agency made Triplets-like scenarios impossible.

So, now every QB in the NFL has to adapt to who is on the roster around him season to season. Guys like Brady are great at adapting to new faces. Guys like Bradford are not. It really is no more simple than that.

[BoulderSooner79]

I've already admitted you could be right, you just will never admit you could be wrong. I think Aikman is a good example and you could throw in Terry Bradshaw too. These guys were not Tom Brady, but are in the HOF due to being pretty good with great surrounding casts. Brady is the gold standard and there are not any more of him now, nor maybe ever. Bradford does not have Brady potential nor do I see him carrying a team. Could he thrive in the right system is the question for me. Russell Wilson is a somewhat unique example of that today; he's been to 2 SBs and I can't see him succeeding like that with other teams. He happened to fit very well with what Petey had put together up in Seattle.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I've already admitted you could be right, you just will never admit you could be wrong. I think Aikman is a good example and you could throw in Terry Bradshaw too. These guys were not Tom Brady, but are in the HOF due to being pretty good with great surrounding casts. Brady is the gold standard and there are not any more of him now, nor maybe ever. Bradford does not have Brady potential nor do I see him carrying a team. Could he thrive in the right system is the question for me. Russell Wilson is a somewhat unique example of that today; he's been to 2 SBs and I can't see him succeeding like that with other teams. He happened to fit very well with what Petey had put together up in Seattle.

Seattle's Super Bowl wins were like that of the '85 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens: defensive monsters led the way.

Bradford just isn't that good in today's NFL. But, even if he played back in the day, there is no sign that he'd have been like an Aikman or Bradshaw, or even a Kenny Stabler. Those guys rarely left injured.

Plus, back then you had plenty of Archie Mannings and Joe Fegrusons and Brian Sipes who were decent QBs, but never got their teams to championship caliber.

I've argued this for years: these college spread offense do nothing to prepare QBs for the pros. Of course, Mike Leach disagrees, but...none of his QBs have ever amounted to sh*t in the pros because they don't know to play the position.

Bradford was the same way. All shotgun, all the time at OU. Little flicks of the ball five yards here and there, often times at or behind the line of scrimmage, sometimes going long, hand off to Demarco Murray.

NFL defenses - defensive backs - are too fast for that.

I'm happy with what Bradford did at OU; but, the fact of the matter is, he just isn't a good pro QB.

[BoulderSooner79]

As I said, you'll never admit you could be wrong.

[Pride1Mom]

Offensive line and great receivers are needed for success. Bradford has never been given any of this. I do not understand why the owners would pay 80 million and not have these key components in place.....

[Tear Down This Wall]

As I said, you'll never admit you could be wrong.

There's nothing to be wrong about - the record speaks for itself. If he'd had any type of leverage, Philly would have done something other than wait him out. His agent played chicken with Philly and lost; hell, Philly didn't even have to get in the car to win. Unfortunately, it made Sam look bad to a lot of pro football-watching people.

Sam was a great college quarterback. Glad he played at OU. Pro football is a business. The players on the defensive side of the ball are all fast. There are no breaks in the schedule like you get seven or eight times a season in college.

I can't remember the quarterback, but on the radio down here, a retired quarterback said the difference between college and pros is this:

-In college, the best programs (and, OU is one of them) really only have to play all out, four quarters of football three or four times a season.
-The rest of the games, the best programs can simply "out-athlete" their opponents.
-In the NFL, you can't "out-athlete" anyone, and especially not in the secondary.
-And, in the NFL, you've got LBs ad DEs who are as fast as RBs. Ask Vince Young's and Robert Griffin III's knees and ankles how trying to outrun NFL DEs and LBs went for them.

It's just an adjustment Sam hasn't made. It's no sin. Most QBs don't pan out at that level.

[BoulderSooner79]

I agree with everything you've written except for 1 thing - that the book is necessarily closed on Sam's potential. I still think if he landed with the right team/coach, he could shine. The odds of that happening are diminishing with time and they took a big hit when the Eagles decided to go with Wentz. He will get more chance(s), I have no doubt. But the odds are, they will be no better situations than he had with the Rams and Eagles -- and certainly it is due to his lack of results to date. It's going to take some good fortune along with Sam performing at a high level to take advantage.

I did a quick search and found a ranked list of all 57 QBs to start a superbowl (winners and losers). This was before the last SB, so Cam Newton would make #58. There were plenty of names on that list that makes me believe Sam could have taken that team to the SB too. And not all of those teams had dominant defenses to account for getting all the way to the SB. Sure, that had at least good defenses, but their offenses had to perform well to get there. But that's kind of what I'm talking about - these guys got into good situations and performed at an effective NFL level to get their teams to the playoffs and beyond. They didn't carry their teams, but they were contributors and not weak links. (There were a few glaring exceptions like Manning last year).

On a side note; the only thing that bothered me about Bradford requesting a trade is that he just talked about wanting to earn a long term contract. He never said anything about wanting to lead a championship team. But the communication content during this faux holdout was pretty slim and he may well have expressed that.

[SoonerorLater]

There's nothing to be wrong about - the record speaks for itself. If he'd had any type of leverage, Philly would have done something other than wait him out. His agent played chicken with Philly and lost; hell, Philly didn't even have to get in the car to win. Unfortunately, it made Sam look bad to a lot of pro football-watching people.

Sam was a great college quarterback. Glad he played at OU. Pro football is a business. The players on the defensive side of the ball are all fast. There are no breaks in the schedule like you get seven or eight times a season in college.

I can't remember the quarterback, but on the radio down here, a retired quarterback said the difference between college and pros is this:

-In college, the best programs (and, OU is one of them) really only have to play all out, four quarters of football three or four times a season.
-The rest of the games, the best programs can simply "out-athlete" their opponents.
-In the NFL, you can't "out-athlete" anyone, and especially not in the secondary.
-And, in the NFL, you've got LBs ad DEs who are as fast as RBs. Ask Vince Young's and Robert Griffin III's knees and ankles how trying to outrun NFL DEs and LBs went for them.

It's just an adjustment Sam hasn't made. It's no sin. Most QBs don't pan out at that level.

That's just incorrect. Sam has been a pretty decent NFL QB.....except for injury. ROY. He's played with some really bad teams. Never had anything close to a pro bowl receiver. He's really never had a legit number 1 type NFL receiver. Very poor O-lines. Played for what, 5 head coaches now and as many or more OC's. Had a receiving corps that led the NFL in dropped passes last year.

Below is a list of QB stats from last season. Bradford being one of them.

COMP ATT PCT YDS YDS/A LONG TD INT SACK RATE YDS/G
266 413 64.4 2,791 6.76 50 14 12 16 83.1 279
335 562 59.6 3,905 6.95 69 31 15 19 88.0 244
312 535 58.3 4,042 7.56 68 22 15 27 84.2 253
162 293 55.3 1,881 6.42 87 15 12 15 74.9 269
230 370 62.2 2,818 7.62 61 19 10 38 91.5 235
346 532 65.0 3,725 7.00 78 19 14 28 86.4 266
355 606 58.6 4,428 7.31 90 35 18 51 88.2 277

Does anybody see much of a difference in these stats taken in totality? Of all the QB's listed here the only one that seems to heavily criticized is Bradford.

[Eielson]

Bradford has been a decent QB when healthy, but unfortunately that only means he's been a decent QB about half of the time. I'm not anti-Sam by any means; I just think people make way too many excuses for him on here.