The deal, made after quarterback Teddy Bridgewater tore his ACL and dislocated his left knee on August 30, plucked Bradford from the Eagles’ starting lineup and has forced him to learn a new offense eight days before the start of the regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles traded Bradford to the Vikings on Saturday, for a pair of draft picks. “It takes reps. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of either of those”, Bradford said Monday after his second practice with the Vikings.
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Come Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, the Vikings’ starting defense will feature the 11 players who started a majority of the team’s games previous year.
Titans coach Mike Mularkey thinks he has a pretty good idea who will be under center.
“He was disappointed at first, but Shaun is a great person”, Zimmer said, adding: “He is a pro’s pro”.
I like Bradford. I think he has been shortchanged by poor coaching and lousy talent around him, but at best he gets the Vikings back to the playoffs.
Bradford, who was acquired by the Eagles in a trade with the Rams about 18 months ago, set franchise records last season with 346 completions and a 65 percent completion percentage.
“The number of starts (he’s had), he’s a very intelligent quarterback, he’s faced this defence before”, Mularkey told ESPN’s Ben Goessling on Wednesday.
“When the organization is willing to give up a first-round pick to bring a guy in, it really shows that they have a lot of faith in all the guys in this locker room, that we have something special here and it’s time to win right now”. Circumstances dictated that. But the deal makes flawless sense for both teams and for (almost) all of the quarterbacks affected. The former number one overall pick Bradford, who feels like has been a part National Football League for a decade, is only 28 years old. Bradford wanted a chance like this after watching the Eagles grab quarterback Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick in the spring.
“I’m much more comfortable than Sunday, that’s for sure, ” said Bradford, looking back at his first Minnesota practice. Hill initially was listed before the team announced he and Bradford would address the media separately in the locker room.
After last week’s preseason game (before Bradford arrived) Peterson said he took it upon himself to pick up the slack. With only two quarterbacks on the active roster, if Hill were to start and get hurt, Bradford would have to play regardless of his readiness.
Whether you are a fan of Bradford or Wentz, this trade should provide a happy ending for both. Hill, though, said his reaction was one of surprise more than disappointment.
“I made a bunch of calls”, Spielman said according to NFL.com. The Vikings have a bunch of really good young players and I think they are bringing back something like 97 percent of the defensive snaps from a year ago.
Peterson on reunited with Bradford: “I’m excited, kind of reunited”. The 36-year-old has averaged three starts a year since a 2005 kneel-down during his first go-around with the Vikings.
“I stay right in my lane”, he explained.
The two grew to be fast friends while playing together in St. Louis, which has helped Bradford make a smooth transition to Minnesota.
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Whether the Sam Bradford trade becomes Herschel Walker Part II or the Second Coming of Randall Cunningham remains to be seen. “Every single thing”, Hill said. “You’ve got to be ready”.
