The speculation in Philadelphia can officially end. Doug Pederson has his quarterback of the near future. It was announced on Tuesday that the Philadelphia Eagles had agreed to a two-year deal with Sam Bradford, who started for the team last season. Bradford’s deal is for $36 million over the two seasons, with $26 million guaranteed.
To begin with, let us have a look at the actual contract. Bradford signed for what averages out to $18 million per season, which is actually close to the average amongst NFL starting quarterbacks. On the list, he is tied with Tony Romo for 14th overall. However, he ranks fourth amongst starters (who are not on their rookie deals) in terms of percent guaranteed, which stands at 72.2 percent. That is a lot of money to be giving to an average to above-average quarterback, and the Eagles may have trouble justifying that with their fanbase.
Still, the length of the contract is absolutely acceptable. If Bradford can somehow improve over the next two seasons and become a true franchise quarterback, then the Eagles will look like geniuses. If not, they can move on relatively quickly and possibly give a young quarterback a year or two to develop. It may hurt the Eagles in the short term, but they do not have any major setbacks.
In terms of the draft, re-signing Bradford will eliminate the chances of the Eagles selecting a quarterback in the first frame. It was already going to be tough for them to get their hands on one in the first place, as the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers desperately need quarterbacks while the Los Angeles Rams may move up to take one of the three first round prospects. The only hope the Eagles would have would be if the Rams did not move up and Paxton Lynch was available.
Even if Lynch were still on the board, the team would likely opt to take a cornerback or a defensive end to improve their defense in hopes of making it to the playoffs in 2016. I think that the Eagles are going to look to draft a quarterback on day two. Some options that may intrigue them include Christian Hackenberg, Connor Cook, and Cardale Jones.
Signing Bradford is not the best move, but it will buy Pederson and the Eagles some time to find a true franchise quarterback in the draft. There really is not much harm done in this short-term deal.
