Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur held the same position in St. Louis during Sam Bradford‘s rookie season with the Rams, when the No. 1 pick won Offensive Rookie of the Year and nearly led the team to the playoffs. So, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, head coach Chip Kelly turned to Shurmur for input and information on Bradford before Philadelphia acquired him in March. While Shurmur’s endorsement didn’t directly lead to the trade, the Eagles OC is optimistic about what Bradford can do with the club.
“I certainly have a very strong, good opinion of what he can accomplish,” Shurmur said. “Had he been able to stay healthy, he wouldn’t have been available for us. When the deal was getting made, I had my fingers crossed in the background that it was going to get done.”
As we wait to see how the Shurmur/Bradford reunion plays out, let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Jets head coach Todd Bowles said yesterday that he wasn’t sure whether or not Muhammad Wilkerson would report to the Jets’ mandatory minicamp this month, but a person familiar with the defensive lineman’s thinking tells Steve Serby and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that Wilkerson will be in attendance. Wilkerson has been absent from the club’s offseason activities so far, as he seeks a new contract.
- The Giants continue to keep an eye out for potential offensive line help, general manager Jerry Reese tells Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media. With Will Beatty out for the season, the team could use some veteran depth. “Obviously, everybody has around 90 men on their roster right now, so there’ll be some cuts,” Reese said. “There will be some chances to add some offensive linemen.”
- Bills coach Rex Ryan sounds impressed with third-round guard John Miller so far, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “When we took him, we thought he’d be our starter and we’ll see,” Ryan said. “But I feel pretty confident that he’s going to be a major contributor for us.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.