Why Sam Bradford Has Chance to Become New Face of Franchise in 2015

It didn't feel like Sam Bradford was really the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles when the team exchanged Nick Foles and second- and fourth-round draft choices for him back in March. But after the Eagles' failed attempt at drafting former Heisman quarterback Marcus Mariota, it's become apparent that Bradford will be the guy in 2015. 

If there's a general feeling of disconnect for the fanbase regarding the current Eagles team, it's because almost none of the big-name players has actually played a game for the city yet. Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Nelson Agholor, Kiko Alonso, Byron Maxwell and Eric Rowe are all new faces. 

There really is not a face of the franchise right now. You could make an argument for Jordan Matthews, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox or DeMeco Ryans, but none compares to past leaders like Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins. That's not a criticism of them but more of a testament to how much the Eagles have changed recently. 

That's why Bradford, the former No. 1 overall pick by the St. Louis Rams, is set up to become the new face of the franchise if he exceeds or even meets expectations during the 2015 season. After all, the quarterback is the face of the franchise for most good teams, and there might not be a quarterback whose performance in 2015 will make or break his team more than Sam Bradford. 

Bradford, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2015 season, which will be his sixth year in the NFL. Yet the jury is still out on Bradford regarding the former Heisman quarterback's ability to translate his game to the NFL level. 

In St. Louis, Bradford achieved varying periods of success. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2010, throwing for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdown passes. He set both career highs again in 2012, and in 2013, he started off the season with 14 touchdowns against just four interceptions before he suffered a torn ACL that cost him the remainder of the year. 

Bradford, as you might have heard, has finished each of the last two seasons on injured reserve with a torn ACL. That's 25 consecutive games missed by the top overall pick in 2010. Including a high ankle sprain in 2011, Bradford has missed 31 games in his five seasons, or close to 40 percent of all games throughout his career. 

It's impossible to predict how well Bradford will play in Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's system. Clearly, the Eagles coach has shown that he's able to get the most out of his quarterbacks, whether it's Michael Vick, Nick Foles or Mark Sanchez. The only exception, Matt Barkley, barely played during his rookie season in 2013. 

Quarterback	Record	TD-to-INT	Passer Rating
Mike Vick	2-4	5-3	86.5
Nick Foles	14-4	40-12	100.5
Mark Sanchez	4-4	14-11	88.4
Total	20-12	59-26	95.2

In 2013, the Eagles scored 442 points, a franchise record and the fourth-most in the National Football League. In 2014, they managed to score 474 points, breaking their own franchise record, for the third-highest total in the league. They did that despite leading the league in turnovers, and even with the unsustainable 11 return touchdowns, the Eagles had an explosive scoring offense. 

Bradford is the best quarterback Kelly has had. He may not be much of a talent, as evidenced by the first few seasons of his career, or he may be a hidden gem, a la Drew Brees when he teamed up with Sean Payton in 2006. The guess here is that he's somewhere in-between. 

It's no secret that Bradford has never had even an adequate supporting cast. His teammates, in fact, have been so bad that his most trusted receiver in four seasons was Danny Amendola, a solid slot receiver but nowhere near a legitimate No. 1 or even No. 2 receiver. His best running back was an aging Steven Jackson, and his best offensive lineman was an injury-prone Jake Long. 

In Philadelphia, Bradford instantly has the best running game he's ever had, with reigning rushing champion Murray and solid backups in Mathews and Darren Sproles. He has the best receiving threats he's ever had, with Matthews, Agholor and Zach Ertz. He has the best offensive line he's ever had, with Peters, Kelce, Evan Mathis and Lane Johnson. And he has easily the best offensive coach he's ever had in Kelly. 

A fair assessment of Bradford is that he's an average talent who will go from a bottom-five supporting cast to a top-five supporting cast, coaching included. Even if he turns into the next Alex Smith, that should be enough to lift the Eagles into the postseason in 2015. 

If Bradford stays healthy, it's hard to see him failing. After all, on film he's showed that he's better than his numbers, as indicated by this video put together by RamsOnDemand, which tracks all of his throws over 15 yards in 2011. He's a big strong-armed pocket passer who is able to take a hit and is still right in the prime of his career at just 27 years old entering the season. 

Bradford only needs to play well in 2015 to earn a contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia for several more seasons, and that would solidify him as the new face of the Eagles franchise.