March 02, 2016
Matt Rourke/AP
Hopefully Sam Bradford won't forget which tunnel to run through on Sunday.
It's been just about 24 hours since the Philadelphia Eagles announced that they have come to terms with quarterback Sam Bradford on a new two-year, $36 million contract that prevented the former No. 1 overall pick from hitting the free agent market next week.
Reaction to the deal has been mixed, with some saying the $18 million/year average value is too much and others taking solace in the fact that it is for just two years, meaning it won't really cost the team in the long term. Overall, however, the majority of fans and those in the media still believe that this type of deal was exactly what the Eagles needed.
And now that we've had some time to let it sink in -- as well as figure out some of the details of the contract -- let's take a look at what the local and national media is saying about the deal, what it means for the draft, its salary cap implications, and even why it may be an indication that the Eagles plan on being a contender in new head coach Doug Pederson's first season.
Before we get into what other writers had to say, here's a look at what our staff thinks:
Assuming he stays healthy, Bradford's presence will keep the Eagles competitive in an awful NFC East in 2016 and will allow them to develop a young quarterback or two in the background. For the right to sort of "have their cake and eat it too," the Eagles are paying a high rental fee.
Pederson, as he made clear with the final line of that quote, feels Bradford is good enough to be the guy, at least until something better comes along. And that was reaffirmed by the deal that was announced on Tuesday.
However, given the short-term nature of the deal — it’s still reportedly worth $26 million guaranteed (or at least something close to that) — the team could theoretically still draft a passer in the early rounds, especially if Pederson, a former NFL quarterback and quarterbacks coach, wants to hand-pick and groom the player he thinks could be the team’s future at the position.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) March 1, 2016
The Bradford contract is for two years, which shows that the Eagles have reservations about him as a long-term solution. They're clearly going to draft at least one quarterbacks. If they get one high enough who could serve as a backup, why not get two to groom and develop simultaneously?
And now, here's a look at what others in the media thought of the deal...
In the short-term, the deal gives the Eagles their best shot of being competitive in 2016, while paying Bradford some big-time money. And in the long-term, if the whole thing blows up, it won't handcuff the organization for years to come.
The crux is this: Bradford has a lot to gain by playing well in 2016, but the Eagles don't have all that much to lose beyond next year if he doesn't.
They retained a team leader who was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league over the second half of the season and didn't have to break the bank to do it, signing him to a two-year, $36 million deal that includes $26 million in guarantees.
That said, the news that he will be sticking around won't be well-received by many residents of Eagles Nation, who never really seemed to warm up to Bradford and are/were of the opinion that the team could have done better in the draft or free agency.
The Eagles also have some protection if things go awry. If the early reports of the deal are indeed accurate, the Eagles would be on the hook for around $9.5 million next year, should they decide to release him in 2017 - $4 million in guarantees, and $5.5 million of the prorated signing bonus. It's not nothing, but that $4 million comes off the books if another team signs Bradford.
The move and the decision to commit to Bradford is without question a risky one, and potentially one that could end up costing both head coach Doug Pederson and top personnel executive Howie Roseman their jobs.
For a man with exactly zero playoff appearances Bradford certainly came out of this overpaid, but it’s not a disaster for the Eagles, either. They’ve given themselves two years to see if they can make a run with Sam Bradford, Carson Palmer-style. If they can’t, they rebuild. It’s a potentially expensive risk, but considering the circumstances, not an unconscionable one.
You cannot win in the NFL without a reliable quarterback. The Eagles did not have one this past season with Bradford playing in the fast-break offensive system of former coach Chip Kelly. ...
The Eagles could have permitted Bradford to test the free agent market. But his price tag would have gone up at that point, not down. There are too many teams that need quarterbacks, and too few of them to go around.
The Eagles' decision to re-sign the still-unproven Bradford to a two-year deal and the quarterback's decision to return to a franchise with many question marks were choices made out of convenience.
Bradford to the Eagles and vice versa: "I can't quit you."
The standings say the NFC East is one of the worst divisions in football. The bank statements say they have the best quarterbacks.
They may not be the best, but for now they’re the highest paid.
Eagles still have money to spend: Bradford's new deal gives him a $12.5 million cap number for the 2016 season. So this means the Eagles have about $18.6 million remaining in cap space. That ranks 21st in the NFL. The Eagles can still save some money by cutting and/or trading certain players. The Birds won't be major spenders in free agency but they'll have enough room to fill some roster holes.
With the signing of Sam Bradford on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles set the bar for their 2016 season. This is a team that expects to be in the playoffs, and it should be judged accordingly.
The alternative would have been simple. With a new head coach, Doug Pederson, and a burning need to scrub vestiges of the Chip Kelly era from the NovaCare Complex, the Eagles could very easily have approached 2016 as a rebuilding season. ...
But that’s not the plan. Bringing Bradford back is not consistent with planning to take a step backward. It is a move a team makes if it expects to contend right away.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin
