Sam Bradford Trade Creates More Questions Than Answers for Philadelphia Eagles

We can’t discuss the Philadelphia Eagles’ shocking swap of Nick Foles for Sam Bradford without talking about the emotional roller coaster the news took fans and followers on.

In the moments that followed the tweet by Adam Schefter of ESPN, there was uncertainty over the compensation involved.

Ross Franklin/Associated Press

At one point, according to Howard Eskin of Fox 29 in Philadelphia, the Eagles were said to be gaining a second-round pick from the St. Louis Rams. At another point, Albert Breer of the NFL Network indicated there would be a swap of firsts that would propel Philadelphia to No. 10 overall in the 2015 draft—within striking distance of Heisman Trophy-winning signal-caller Marcus Mariota, long believed to be the apple of head coach Chip Kelly’s eye.

Sadly, we now know such unicorn packages don’t exist. The Eagles, not the Rams, were the buyers in this trade, sending a fourth-round pick in 2015 and conditional second-rounder in 2016 along with Foles in exchange for Bradford and a fifth this year, which the club would eventually confirm on its official Twitter account.

By all appearances, Kelly didn’t get any closer to acquiring Mariota through this deal. That dream appears to be on life support, if not dead on arrival.

So why do it?

Is Bradford honestly a much better option than Foles, to the point of giving up draft picks? Is a play for Mariota or another rookie signal-caller truly off the table as a result of this deal?

Unfortunately, we are left without any definitive answers to the many questions a surreal trade such as this presents. Eagles brass has refused to speak with members of the media since the day after the 2014 regular season concluded, so all we’re left with are hints dropped by the team’s website and official pro shop—hardly proof of anything either way.

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Here’s what we know.

YR	CMP%	YDS/ATT	TD/INT	RATING
2014	59.8	7.0	13/10	81.4
2013	64.0	9.1	27/2	119.2
2012	60.8	6.4	6/5	79.1

Foles’ record was 14-4 as the starter with a playoff appearance under Chip Kelly. The third-year passer struggled with 14 turnovers in eight games (he played only one quarter in his last game) last season behind a shaky offensive line before eventually suffering a season-ending collarbone injury. But despite his many issues, Foles is only one year removed from a historic campaign, posting an NFL-record 27-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and finishing with a 119.2 rating—good for third all-time.

Foles’ regression was troubling but not at all abnormal for a relatively inexperienced quarterback. Development is seldom a straight arrow pointing up at the position. Plus, his job was made more challenging as a result of the issues up front, limiting the effectiveness of the running game, which in turn put more pressure on the passing attack.

Foles may not have been an ideal fit for Kelly’s offense but certainly showed he can have success in the NFL with a proper supporting cast.

Betting on Foles returning to form or growing as a player or even staying healthy for 16 games was a risk. Then again, so too is hitching your wagon to Bradford—perhaps more so.

YR	CMP%	YDS/ATT	TD/INT	RATING
2013	60.7	6.4	14/4	90.9
2012	59.5	6.7	21/13	82.6
2011	53.5	6.1	6/6	70.5
2010	60.0	6.0	18/15	76.5

The very first issue with Bradford is the fact that he’s suffered torn ACLs in consecutive years, costing him the final nine games of 2013 and the entirety of ’14. While the recovery rate for this injury is dramatically better than it once was, it’s not as if this was a proven performer otherwise.

Bradford’s record as a starter in five seasons as a member of the Rams is 18-30-1. Not only that, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2010 has posted dismal career numbers: a 58.6 completion percentage, 6.3 yards per attempt and 79.3 passer rating.

In Bradford’s defense, he’s never been surrounded by much offensive talent in St. Louis. But with the departures of Pro Bowl weapons LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin this offseason, one wonders how much better the situation will be in Philly.

Bradford also showed some signs of improvement in 2012 and ’13, with his completion percentage hovering around an adequate 60 percent while tossing 35 touchdowns to 17 interceptions in 23 games.

That being said, is this really the direction Kelly wanted to go?

Bradford turns 28 in November and has shown no evidence of having ability that transcends the talent around him. He may fit the system, and virtually every offensive player that has come through Philly since Kelly’s arrival has benefited immensely, so it’s not difficult to project some level of improvement.

Still, Bradford’s NFL career has been so underwhelming to date that it’s difficult to view him as the answer. The Eagles have no assurances if they decide to invest in Bradford long-term, yet if they don’t and Bradford ultimately flops, they’ve dealt an asset—if not a potential starter—in Foles plus a draft pick to hold a glorified tryout.

YR	CMP%	YDS/ATT	TD/INT	RUSH YDS/TD
2012	68.5	8.0	32/6	752/5
2013	63.5	9.5	31/4	715/9
2014	68.3	10.0	42/4	770/15

No doubt, some are still holding out hope that this trade was merely the first step in a move for Mariota.

Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reported in February that teams positioned at the top of the draft actually preferred Bradford to Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston. Would the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans or New York Jets be more inclined to do a deal with Philadelphia that involves Bradford than they were one with Foles?

But if the Bucs, Titans or Jets were so interested in Bradford, why wouldn’t they just deal with the Rams directly? That’s not to say it’s impossible, as the Eagles were in a unique position to offer an alternative under center, but considering Bradford turned out to have more trade value—even with a contract that pays $13 million in ’15, according to Spotrac—that premise seems unlikely.

Then again, who knows? Nobody predicted the Eagles would latch on to Bradford in an apparent effort to revitalize his career, yet that may just prove to be the case.

At this point, almost anything sounds plausible. Philadelphia’s Bradford gambit was about as unexpected as trades come, and while common sense would dictate he’s the guy now, Kelly keeps on surprising. Until the draft is over with and Bradford is either on the roster or gone, all this move does is create more questions than answers about the Eagles’ plan.