In a deal that left Philadelphia Eagles fans shocked, bewildered, and stunned, quarterback Nick Foles was dealt to the St. Louis Rams for quarterback Sam Bradford. There were also picks involved are here are the final terms of the deal, according to ESPN’s Phil Sheridan:
“In addition to Foles, the Rams will also get Philadelphia’s fourth-round pick in 2015 and second-round pick in 2016. The Eagles will get St. Louis’ fifth-round pick in 2015 in addition to Bradford.
The Eagles can also pick up a conditional pick in 2016 based on how many snaps Bradford takes. If Bradford plays less than 50 percent the Eagles will get a 4th-round pick, if he does not play at all it becomes a 3rd-rounder. If Bradford plays more than 50 percent of snaps the Eagles will not receive any additional compensation.”
Eagles fans on social media have asked me to make sense of this trade, as they are very confused. Chip Kelly obviously was low on Nick Foles after his regression during the 2014 season, completing 60% of his passes, and throwing 13 TD passes and 10 interceptions through eight games. Add another four fumbles lost, and Foles was among the league’s worst in giving the football away. In 2013, Nick Foles had a historically great year, completing 64% of his passes, 9.12 yards per attempt, 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.
Did losing DeSean Jackson have an effect on the Eagles offense and Foles? Yes it did, but Foles held onto the football too long, was surprisingly in accurate, and displayed a unwillingness to stand strong in the pocket under duress, properly step into his throws and complete passes. Me personally, I think the book is still unfinished when talking about Foles as a football player. The Rams are getting a young guy with talent, that has shown some good and bad in his career. If he plays well, he’ll earn their trust, and a long term deal. If Not, he’ll hit the open market after next season.
Sam Bradford was the number one overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, out of the University of Oklahoma. Very talented prospect with the prototypical size, arm strength, and accuracy that you need to be a high level starting NFL quarterback. When he’s played, he’s shown flashes of why he was the first pick in the draft. Some question is he a fit in the Eagles offensive system and the answer is yes he is. The Eagles offense needs a QB with accuracy, the ability to threaten all three levels of the field, and the ability to make the right decisions quickly with the football. Bradford can do those things.
But the reason why we haven’t seen Bradford develop into a top level QB as of yet is because of his extensive injury history. The most important trait that any athlete can have is availability and to this point Bradford has proven that he’s a injury waiting to happen. Out of the 80 possible career games, he’s only played in 49 of those, missing half of the 2013 season with a torn ACL, then missing the entire 2014 season after tearing the same ACL in the preseason. For the Eagles to possibly head into the 2015 season with Bradford as their guy, and Mark Sanchez as the backup plan, while giving up a 2nd round pick in 2016, it’s a huge risk.
Some still believe that the Eagles have acquired Bradford as a piece to help them move up in the draft to get Chip Kelly’s guy, Marcus Mariota. Some say that the Titans could be interested in Bradford and involving their 2nd overall pick, I say if they are that stupid, the franchise should be shut down. Let’s put it all to rest, the Eagles plan on moving forward with Sam Bradford as their QB in 2015, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter relayed the same message in a interview on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia this morning:
https://twitter.com/BrandonOnSports/status/575672783126069248
Oh yeah, the Eagles are hosting free agent and often injured running back Ryan Matthews today. According to Fox Sports NFL Insider Mike Garafolo, it’s basically a done deal:
They also signed former Seahawks and Giants cornerback Walter Thurmond today, he missed 14 games in 2014. I know Kelly believes in sports science and all, but the analysts, along with the fans have a legit right to question the addition of players with injury histories. The best line of the year came from NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah: ” Fat guys stay fat, dumb guys stay dumb, and injured guys stay injured.”
Muslim Football Scout 