There can be only one conclusion to make after the Philadelphia Eagles signed quarterback Sam Bradford to a two-year extension which is that the team will at least be competitive for two more seasons.
Beyond that, the time the two years buys the Eagles to get even better is worth the $36 million the team gave to the 28-year-old quarterback, because the prospect of the Eagles falling from a 7-9 team to a much worse one was very real. Now they have some stability at the most important position on the field and additional money to plug some holes elsewhere.
Whether they have enough to shore up a sinking ship is yet to be determined, but at the very least, they will not have to sign some career backup. That would have made the 2016 season even tougher to watch for fans who had to suffer through a brutal 2015.
It should be interesting to see how Bradford works under a system more suited to his skills like new head coach Doug Pederson promises to install. Bradford tried to run ex-coach Chip Kelly’s read-option and, with two bad knees, the QB was never really an option to run and opposing defenses knew it. In a system where Bradford gets rid of that ball to athletes who can run, the Eagles should be a much more productive offensive team.
If they are, then Bradford could be the quarterback of the future and the Eagles won’t have to waste other resources to plug the holes Kelly created by getting rid of top talent at the wide receiver and running back position for virtually nothing.
Those holes are still there and GM Howie Roseman will have to fill them. They did not need to create another one at quarterback, so that, and time, is the best thing the Eagles bought with the Bradford extension.
