Philadelphia Eagles Sign Sam Bradford, Possibly Overpaid By NFL Standards

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford signed a new two-year deal worth $36 million with the team, according to NFL. Coming off a disappointing season and having his new contract be guaranteed for $26 million, a lot of discussions have taken place about Bradford in the hours after the deal was completed. Some are going to far as to say that the Eagles might have overpaid for Bradford because they did not have a ton of options at the quarterback position.

Last season, Sam Bradford threw for 3,725 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Those are not gaudy numbers in the NFL, by any means. However, it was enough for the Philadelphia Eagles to make Bradford their starting quarterback for at least the next two seasons. The situation between Bradford and the Eagles was not a “love at first sight” thing as it is a marriage of convenience.

There’s not a whole lot of options at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. They have the 13th overall draft choice, but potential starting quarterbacks might already be gone by the time that the Eagles are at the podium. Chase Daniels has been mentioned as an option, but the Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback is essentially being considered because he already understands the offensive scheme that Doug Pederson is going to be using in Philadelphia.

Colin Kaepernick has reportedly asked the San Francisco 49ers to trade him to another team in the NFL. While he is athletic and talented, there are those within the Philadelphia Eagles organization that are skeptical about his confidence and leadership skills. Robert Griffin III is another similar option. Talented player, but the Eagles are concerned that his confidence has been shaken after being humiliated and benched by the Washington Redskins in favor of Kirk Cousins.

In house, the Philadelphia Eagles have Mark Sanchez as their best option. Though the former University of Southern California Trojans star isn’t nearly as bad as some people make him out to be, it’s starting to become clear that Sanchez is best utilized as a backup quarterback in the NFL. Eagles fans are fine with Sanchez being a backup, but they definitely would not show much enthusiasm and excitement for next season if Mark were the starter.

Sam Bradford isn’t going to be generating a ton of excitement for the Philadelphia Eagles rabid fan base, but many still believe that he has potential to do some damage in the NFL. That potential is buying the former Oklahoma Sooners star some time. If after these next two years are over and Bradford doesn’t prove that he is worthy of being a starter, then the Eagles and no other team in the National Football League are going to care much about that potential any more.

When you pay $18 million a year for a quarterback, you normally expect that player to be able to win a handful of games for you per season. As of right now, Sam Bradford is not that type of quarterback. He’s still learning how to adjust to being a starter in the NFL. This is the kind of money that you would normally pay guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, all of whom have won plenty of their games with their passing.

Doug Pederson could be the saving grace for Sam Bradford, though. Having gone through the experience of coaching Alex Smith, Pederson will be bringing that conservative, run first offensive scheme used by the Kansas City Chiefs. That should protect Bradford from looking bad.

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