San Francisco 49ers Rumors: Could Eagles’ Sam Bradford Be Traded To The 49ers?

With the 2016 NFL draft only two days away, rumors are heating up regarding the San Francisco 49ers and their plans for the No. 7 overall pick. Since the 49ers are in desperate need of a viable starting quarterback, many mock drafts have recently connected the team with Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch. While Lynch remains a possibility, he is not ready to play in 2016. The latest rumors have the 49ers trading for current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, many NFL analysts believed that Bradford was a target for the 49ers in a free agency a few months ago. After Bradford re-signed with the Eagles, the possibility of a reunion with new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly in San Francisco appeared to be dead. While the Eagles still claim that Bradford is going to be their starting quarterback in 2016, he is asking for a trade, as reported by ESPN. In addition to signing former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel, the Eagles are also expected to draft North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz or California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff with the recently acquired No. 2 overall pick.

Since Bradford’s trade request, he has been linked to the New York Jets and Denver Broncos, as reported by the Inquisitr. While Bradford makes sense for both teams, the 49ers may be the Eagles’ best trade partner. In addition to holding higher draft picks in each round, Kelly has also said many times that he is a fan of Bradford. While Bradford has never lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick, he did play some of the best football of his career during the second half of last season with Kelly and the Eagles.

As NFL.com notes, the trade could potentially solve the 49ers’ quarterback problem.

“Two birds, one stone. Chip Kelly traded for Sam Bradford last offseason because he identified the enigmatic quarterback as a ‘special talent’ with the potential to make the Eagles’ offense soar. After a shaky start to the season, Bradford went on to complete 68 percent of his passes for a 97.0 passer rating in the final seven games. If Colin Kaepernick desperately wants out of San Francisco, Kelly should be tempted to reunite with Bradford on the 49ers. Kaepernick might have reported for the start of the 49ers offseason program, but the hatred seems real between the quarterback and the organization. Before the start of training camp, we’ll see Kap in Denver, saving us all from watching Mark Sanchez in the 2016 NFL Kickoff game.”

While Colin Kaepernick remains on the 49ers roster, there is still a very real chance that he is traded to the Broncos, as reported by the Inquisitr. And even if the 49ers are unable to move Kaepernick, Chip Kelly reportedly even views Blaine Gabbert to be a better option at quarterback. Since Gabbert is nothing more than a backup quarterback, it is unlikely that he is a long-term solution.

Finding team for Bradford will be tough, bc he has to be the starter. But here are three teams that make some sense: https://t.co/sT9l6Ifvsy

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) April 25, 2016

While there is no official word on the asking price for Bradford, it is apparently higher than what the Broncos are willing to pay, according to Fox Sports. Whether to not the 49ers would give the Eagles what they want remains to be seen, but they are still in a better position to make a deal. While Bradford is unlikely to net a first-round draft pick, or even a second-round draft pick, the 49ers pick in the third round could get the deal done. Since Bradford’s current contract is for only two years, the 49ers would not even have to commit to him over the long term.

Thursday’s draft is going to have a major impact on whether the 49ers are still in the market for Bradford. If they draft Lynch in the first round, the odds say they will play Gabbert or Kaepernick for the year while he develops. If they do not draft a quarterback early, they very well could go after Bradford.

[Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]