TRADING Sam Bradford to the Vikings leaves us with a hole at QB, but he absolutely had to go, and the sooner the better. While statistically Bradford was far and away the best QB on the roster this preseason, that fact wasn’t at all important. In fact, all the important stuff lies beyond the surface of this trade.
This season most fans and pundits had very low expectations for the Eagles. Many expected us to win fewer than 7 games. So this season (at least for Eagles management), made for a great laboratory. There were almost no downsides to how any of this could turn out for them.
Four weeks ago, talk of the postseason was on nobody’s lips but mine. Then we went 4-0 in the preseason, and casual fans (of which most fans are), started talking playoffs. An expectation was starting to form among the fan base, which would wreck the Front Office’s perfect, consequence-free lab. However, trading Bradford now, de-legitimizes any media talk whatsoever of the Eagles making a grab for the division, and keeps that lab safe.
Bradford was out of Philly after 2016 anyway. We all knew that. That was no secret. Barring injury, Carson Wentz will open Week One of the 2017 season as our starting QB. Also no secret. Everyone already knew what the future held after this season ended. So the last thing the Eagles needed, was for Bradford to complicate things by leading the team to a division win. And god forbid, a playoff win.
Take a second look. As of right now the QB’s on this roster look like Chase Daniel, Carson Wentz and McLeod Bethel-Thompson (who might stick now). Here’s what everyone looked like in the preseason:
Wentz’s numbers next to Bradford’s are appalling. Even making an allowance for him being a rookie, they’re still appalling. Bradford is no Hall of Famer, but he knows the in’s and out’s of being a starting QB. Daniel and Bethel-Thomspon don’t. In the regular season they’ll do just badly enough for you to keep looking for Wentz.
Wentz will be peppered in here and there (after his ribs heal), but making his first start Week 7, at home vs Bradford and the Vikings, would be sheer poetry. A controversy-free transition, complete with the home crowd roaring Wentz’s name, hope in the air, and (in my George Washington Duke voice) “Old lion vs young lion!”
Hey! Does anyone want to know why Minnesota would give up so much (a 1st and a 4th rounder) to get Bradford? You don’t give up a first rounder to replace a QB who’s only slated to miss 16 games. Giving up next year’s 1st rounder for a guy who sits on your bench next year? Nobody buys that.
My guess is that the damage to Teddy Bridgewater‘s knee is more extensive than they’re letting on at this point. I’d wager that Bridgewater’s injury is not only career-threatening, but that some in that organization see it as likely career-ending. Bradford however, is locked in at a reasonable rate for two years, and he gives the Vikings someone to pair with RB Adrian Peterson. That aids the perception of the Vikes still having a chance to win the North, which helps ticket and merchandise sales.
There was much more to this trade than meets the eye.
Leave a comment below and lets discuss what you think of the trade.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 
Eagles sell out the fans again and throw the season out the window before it starts. Crappy ownership. A money move and stupid fans keep buying tickets. This is slap in the face to the fans. It says come anyway and waste your time and money watching us toss a rookie in their in week 6 after the season is over. Im sure the veteran players cannot be happy.
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Initial reports suggest that the locker room is NOT happy over this.
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I’m thrilled with the trade and am willing to let this season be a new lab, as you call it. With our division being so mediocre, anything can happen. I keep thinking…..what if we’ll be witnessing the eventual greatest QB in Eagles history. Hope is a great thing.
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So do I Andrea. Since our first round pick position will be determined by the Vikings record, imagine if we won the division AND the Vikes tank!
This trade is great both long and short term. (Provided a fan is willing to eat a bad year.) Though as Hollywoodeagle suggested earlier, there are veterans in that locker room who do NOT see it as we fans do.
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And if the vikings thrive this will go down as another attempt to stretch the scientific experiment another three seasons. Wentz is going to get his ass kicked. And daniels will be a 6-10 QB at best. The winning the division thing is over . Now its a matter of how bad is this going to get. The defense will keep the Eagles competitive while they sell the fans on the growth of the rookie QB. The Eagles have the fans by the balls.
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If the Vikes thrive with who? Bradford?! No, either we profit from this or neither of us does.
As for not winning the East, why can’t we? Dallas is in the same boat we’re in, except their insurance policy is Mark Sanchez. New York can’t get out of their own way thanks in part to their head coach. Washington has a first place schedule and a QB who can’t beat teams over .500. Our Defense is a meat grinder that will produce extra opportunities for our mediocre Offense.
I said even back in April that the Offense would be a problem, but the Defense getting them the ball back in good field position will artificially inflate our scoring stats. We’ll score more because of our Defense, but our rankings on Offense (except in yardage), will look better than the Offense has truly earned.
We’ll be competitive in a weak division. We may even win it.
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Look. This is a great deal for us. Bradford is not gonna take us anywhere. Our avg. Offensive age is 25. We have a shiny new QB to grow up with them. Our “core” defense will be together for at least 3 years. How is this selling the fans short? Selling the fans short is Bradford staying going 5-11 and us STILL not having a 1st round pick with the LIVE draft being in Philly next season. Now say we go 6-10 with Wentz? That’s 1 game better than if we had Bradford. Vikes go (my prediction) 8-8. We have a top 15 pick.
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I don’t feel like it sells us short at all. Like I said to Andrea, this trade is great both long and short term.
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The people who don’t like this trade…is the thought that with Bradford, this was play-off team? Giving Bradford money was a mistake in the first place, and now we are out form under that and got something for our trouble. Meanwhile, this is a 6-10 team either way.
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I disagree. Our defense is deep playoff ready while again we have a gap with the offense. You expect Wentz and daniels to close that gap? I doubt it. We got what from Minnesota a late 1st and fourth for A qb picked #1 in the draft. This is a money move and not a commitment from ownership. I think NY , Wash and Dallas have jump on us. We will be in cellar and season will be closed out by 10th game of season. Sorry beast but Wentz not proven and Daniels is a scrub.
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Our QB’s aren’t ready. But the rest of the division, is in some ways every bit as bad as we are.
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The funny thing is I could have predicted this when they let Reid go. Chip was a fall guy. Wentz is the stretch. Lurie bought 7- 10 years with this little scheme.
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I agree. I said on this very site that Kelly was set-up
https://eaglemaniacal.com/2015/01/02/promoted-chip-kelly-loses/
The thing is he was so full of himself he didn’t even see it. But (as usual, I nailed it WAY EARLY).
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Beast I have been around a long time and I know you remember me telling you guys about this deceitful management. And the funny thing is the ring leader is still there (Howie). I said he was buying time but I never thought it would be so in your face. Now its laughable. Lurie has to go
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Lurie isn’t going anywhere for at least another 15-20 years.
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