However, to Eagles Executive Vice President Howie Roseman, garnering an embarrassment of riches at the game’s most important spot makes for smart strategy.
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Sam Bradford knows a little something about franchise quarterbacks.
“… If you commit that you’re going to invest in quarterbacks and you have people here who we think can teach quarterbacks as well as any in the National Football League, sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is”.
Say the Rams take Jared Goff and the Browns trade the second pick to the Eagles, who sit at No. 8 in the draft order. If Bradford plays well in 2016, the Eagles could create trade interest and recoup some of the assets lost in the deal.
“I learned a long time ago to stay away from all of that stuff”, said Bradford, who got engaged during the offseason and has plans to marry this summer.
The fact is that the Eagles have no reason for any great confidence in Bradford, who threw for a career-high 3,725 yards last season under former head coach Chip Kelly, with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
“We told Sam that”, Roseman told reporters earlier Wednesday. By drafting a quarterback second, the Eagles made it very clear Bradford won’t be their quarterback of the future, and with Bradford priced out of the market as a backup (and Chase Daniel locked up for the foreseeable future), he’s not going to stick around as Philly’s backup QB. “We intend to support him, and the moves we’ve made this offseason we believe will give us a chance to compete this season”. In the meantime, the Eagles hope Bradford will try to prove his worth on the field. It’s not like Bradford signed a long-term deal either – he’s only onboard for a maximum of two years under his current contract.
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“He’s a pro”, Roseman said. The thought process makes some sense-Sam Bradford performed reasonably well for Philly last season, but he’s been injury-prone for a long time, and that doesn’t generally turn around as one ages. Ironically enough, the Rams hold the No. 1 overall pick ahead of the Eagles and are rumored to be preparing to select Goff. “If it happens, it’s something I’ll deal with when it happens”. He also noted the “benefit of time” the No. 2 overall pick will have playing behind Bradford. And many other players across every sport have felt that way, but quarterbacks are unlike any other position in sports.
