Sam Bradford Traded to Eagles for Nick Foles: Twitter Reacts to QB Swap

The Philadelphia Eagles traded away quarterback Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford on Tuesday in a huge deal to start off the league year. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the trade was imminent, and Myles Simmons reported the news for the Rams' official website when the deal was sealed. The Eagles provided details on the draft picks involved in the deal:

Foles struggled in eight starts last year before breaking his collarbone and being replaced by Mark Sanchez. In 2013, though, Foles thrived, throwing 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions and posting a ridiculous 119.2 passer rating while guiding the Eagles to the playoffs.

Apparently, that wasn't enough to warrant keeping him around, despite a dearth of options to be had elsewhere at the game's most vital position—beyond the injury-plagued Bradford.

Twitter was aflame with reaction when news of the deal broke.

Foles spoke about his time with the Eagles and future with the Rams:

"

Thankful for the opportunity to start my career in Philly. Going to miss my teammates & Eagles fans who supported me. pic.twitter.com/x40rRlWzZJ

— Nick Foles (@NFoles_9) March 11, 2015"

ESPN's Skip Bayless wondered if Bradford would simply be a trade chip in a future deal, hinting at the link between Eagles and top 2015 NFL draft prospect Marcus Mariota:

Albert Breer of NFL.com provided comments from Rams coach Jeff Fisher:

"

Sam was a leader on our team in the locker room and on the field. He was a great teammate who was dealt some adversity but handled it all with grace and dignity. He represented himself as well as the organization in a first-class manner. I wish him nothing but the best throughout his career.

"

Bradford's former Oklahoma teammate Gerald McCoy weighed in on the trade:

Mike Greenberg of ESPN analyzed it from the New York Jets' perspective, should Philadelphia swing a draft-day trade with the team holding the sixth overall pick:

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman didn't quite know what to make of the news, considering St. Louis' public endorsement of Bradford in the past:

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com recorded comments from less than a month ago from Rams general manager Les Snead, suggesting Bradford would remain with the team:

CBSSports.com's Joel Corry senses both Foles and Bradford may be on one-year auditions based on their expiring contracts:

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports feels St. Louis got a raw deal:

"

Don't do it, Rams. Sam Bradford is better than Nick Foles.

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) March 10, 2015"

NBC Sports Network's Ross Tucker feels the Eagles came out worse off in the end:

Louis Riddick of ESPN also noted the history between Philadelphia offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and Bradford but didn't believe the Eagles were married to him because of that association:

Jim Rome theorized that Sanchez will be pleased to know that Bradford is entering the fold:

John Cazano of The Oregonian believes Bradford may not be in Philadelphia for long—another nod to the Mariota possibility:

NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano referred to Bradford's record as a starter to fortify the notion that he could be switching teams again soon enough:

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN spoke to Philadelphia's 97.5 The Fanatic about how Foles is apparently feeling:

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly gained control over personnel decisions in an offseason power structure shakeup. The innovative offensive genius that Kelly is allows just about any type of QB to thrive in his system—or at least that's been the case so far.

This development has to be a bit of a shock to Foles, who told NJ.com's Eliot Shorr-Parks in late January that he saw himself staying put in Philadelphia:

"

I only listen to (head coach) Chip Kelly. That's what is most important. He is the one that will make the decision. Right now all I am going to do is work because I plan on being back in Philadelphia and playing with my team. That's all I ever thought. So that is what I plan on doing and I'm not looking at it any other way.

"

Kelly has no shortage of confidence, and he is putting a lot of faith in his own abilities to bring along a new franchise passer in Philly. The success of this controversial strategy will define Kelly's future at the helm, with a certain boom-or-bust sentiment abound.

Having torn the same left ACL twice in less than a year, Bradford is hardly a sure thing after missing all of 2014. If Bradford stays healthy and lives up to his billing as the 2010 draft's No. 1 overall pick, though, Kelly may have hit a home run with this deal.

As for the other side of this trade, St. Louis can at least view Foles as a best-case option given the aforementioned thin market of available signal-callers and Foles' past prowess in Kelly's system.

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Foles' sample size is rather minuscule, though. The possibility exists that his 2014 inconsistency was a result of teams catching up to his tendencies by accruing knowledge through additional game tape.

Nevertheless, this is a move that could help push the Rams into the playoffs. Foles still has upside to explore, is a sizable player capable of absorbing big hits and has exceptional deep-ball accuracy to produce big plays in the passing game.

This trade puts both franchises involved at a huge crossroads. Legacies are on the line for both Kelly and Foles, while St. Louis has to hope their new, greenish QB pans out following the underwhelming Bradford era.