Sam Bradford - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Sam Bradford, Trade Request

April 26th, 2016 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

After a report surfaced on Monday suggesting that Sam Bradford – or his agent – had asked for a trade out of Philadelphia, agent Tom Condon appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio confirming as much. According to Condon, the Eagles haven’t given him permission to seek out possible trades for Bradford, and his client won’t be at voluntary workouts (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).

As Condon explained, Bradford was “very happy” with the contract he signed in March with the Eagles, but became less thrilled about his situation when the team also added Chase Daniel and traded for the No. 2 overall pick (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio).

“From our perspective… Sam wants the opportunity to try to go some place and not only be the starter, but be the starter there long-term,” Condon said, per Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com. “He doesn’t view himself as somebody that’s a stop-gap kind of quarterback and he wants to go some place and take a chance on being with a team for a long time and I can’t blame him for that.”

Here’s more on the Bradford situation, which we’ll be monitoring closely this week:

As we heard yesterday, in spite of Bradford’s trade request, the Eagles aren’t seriously considering trading the former first overall pick, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, in these situations, a team is generally always willing to trade the player if the price is right, but the Eagles appear just as willing to move forward with Bradford on the roster.
The Bills and Browns were among the teams to express interest in Bradford last year, and could join the Broncos among the potential landing spots for the veteran signal-caller if the Eagles do decide to make a move, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole notes, the $11MM signing bonus that was part of Bradford’s new contract makes a potential trade very tricky for the Eagles, since it will be hard to extract fair value.
Mike Klis of 9NEWS is extremely skeptical that the 49ers will become a viable suitor for Bradford, suggesting (via Twitter) that Howie Roseman would have no interest in helping Chip Kelly.

Broncos Inquired On Sam Bradford

April 25th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos reached out to the Eagles to inquire on Sam Bradford, Mike Klis of 9NEWS reports (via Twitter). However, according to an NFL source, Philadelphia’s asking price was just too lofty.

Earlier today, we learned that Bradford has requested a trade from the Eagles. However, the Eagles have yet to give Bradford and his representatives permission to seek a trade. Bradford is ostensibly upset with the Eagles following their trade up to the No. 2 pick in the draft with the intent of selecting a quarterback. Of course, that deal came just six weeks after the Eagles re-upped Bradford on a lucrative two-year contract.

The Broncos, meanwhile, are searching for answers at quarterback after losing Brock Osweiler to free agency and seeing future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning announce his retirement. Denver has Mark Sanchez in place as a Plan B, but they are searching hard for a better starting candidate. The Broncos’ have had extensive trade talks with the 49ers regarding Colin Kaepernick, but those have effectively been frozen as the quarterback is unwilling to take the pay cut that is being requested of him.

Since the Eagles have already paid out Bradford’s $11MM signing bonus, he would represent a very affordable option at quarterback for Denver. The Broncos, or any team acquiring the former No. 1 overall pick, would only be on the hook for $7MM in 2016.

Bradford, acquired a year ago by Chip Kelly‘s Eagles in a trade with the Rams, had his ups and downs in 14 starts for Philadelphia in 2015, but his overall numbers have been solid. The Oklahoma product set new career-highs with a 65.0% completion percentage, and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sam Bradford Wants Out Of Philadelphia?

April 25th, 2016 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

1:22pm: While a trade request has been issued, the Eagles have not given Bradford permission to speak to other teams, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Howie Roseman reiterated to John Clark of CSN Philly today that Bradford is the Eagles’ starting quarterback and there’s no plan to move him.

11:18am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) backs up Schefter’s report, writing that Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, asked for a trade. According to Rapoport, the Eagles were “blindsided” by the trade request, but haven’t changed their view that Bradford is their starter, so it will be interesting to see how this stand-off plays out.

10:24am: Contrary to Robinson’s report (noted below), Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Eagles have been informed Bradford wants to be traded and won’t be showing up for any more of the club’s offseason program.

8:55am: In the wake of the Eagles’ trade for the No. 2 overall pick, at least one report suggested that Sam Bradford may ask for a trade upon recognizing that his odds of a long-term future with the team had dwindled significantly. However, two sources close to Bradford tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that the quarterback has not asked to be traded and has no plans to do so.

According to Robinson, it’s still within the realm of possibility that the Eagles could move Bradford during or after the draft, but the more probable scenario involves the former No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2016 season as the team’s starter. And Bradford intends to embrace that challenge if he remains in Philadelphia, despite being upset about the lost draft assets that could have fortified the roster around him, sources tell Robinson.

Although the Eagles intend to use their No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback – likely Carson Wentz – the plan is to essentially redshirt that QB for his rookie season, so Bradford figures to remain atop the depth chart, with Chase Daniel as his backup.

As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News observes, Bradford may not have a long-term commitment from the Eagles, but he didn’t have that anyway, even before the trade up to No. 2. Bowen suggests that de facto GM Howie Roseman has no intention of trading Bradford, so the best-case scenario for both sides would be to smooth things over and focus on the incumbent starter having a good season in 2016. In that scenario, the Eagles would have multiple options for 2017, and Bradford could potentially parlay a strong performance into a longer-term deal elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sam Bradford Likely To Request Trade?

April 21st, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following the Eagles’ trade to acquire the No. 2 overall pick — and their probable intent to select a quarterback — incumbent starting QB Sam Bradford is likely to request a trade out of Philadelphia, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Yesterday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Bradford was unhappy with the Eagles’ decision to move up. “He’s hot,” said the source, who spoke with Bradford. “Who wouldn’t be? This is Philly saying, ‘We don’t see (you) as long-term answer.’ He’s mad and wants to show everyone who’s best.’’

Bradford might even be willing to take a paycut to leave the Eagles, according to Cole, who says that Bradford would like to join a team that views him as the long-term answer at quarterback. Philadelphia, meanwhile, would like to have a short-term option at quarterback to bridge the gap until the rookie they choose at No. 2 is ready. Luckily, the club signed Chase Daniel last month, and he could presumably serve as that stopgap.

If the Eagles did trade Bradford, they’d take on a $11MM dead money charge in 2016. Setting aside any possible paycut Bradford might take, an acquiring team would be on the hook for his $7MM base salary in 2016 and his $13MM base salary in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Fallout From Eagles/Browns Trade

April 20th, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, the Eagles acquired the No. 2 pick from the Browns and opinions are split on whether it was a wise move for Philly. Quarterback Sam Bradford is one person who’s not a fan of the deal for the Eagles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes (via Facebook):

“He’s hot,” said one source who spoke with Bradford. “Who wouldn’t be? This is Philly saying, ‘We don’t see (you) as long-term answer.’ He’s mad and wants to show everyone who’s best.’’

Here’s a look at the fallout from the trade for both the Eagles and the Browns:

Eagles GM Howie Roseman told reporters that Bradford will be the Eagles’ quarterback in 2016, though the team will be selecting a QB at No. 2 (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer). This offseason, the Eagles gave Bradford a new deal which gives him $22MM fully guaranteed over the next two years while signing Chase Daniel to a contract that will give him $12MM guaranteed.
Paxton Lynch is a quarterback to watch for Cleveland, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While the Browns could target Lynch at No. 8, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (on Twitter) notes that coach Hue Jackson did not attend Memphis’ pro day.
One rival GM tells Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that he doesn’t think the Browns are done trading. That GM believes that the Browns will try and acquire even more picks from this point forward.
The Browns announced that the 2017 fourth-round pick they gave up in the deal with the Eagles is conditional, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. That means that the Eagles will be receiving the Browns’ latest fourth-round pick next year.
Mike Florio of PFT noted that the two teams that orchestrated the Nick Foles/Bradford deal are now controlling the top of the draft.

Latest On Eagles QB Situation

March 10th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Is this the end of the line for Mark Sanchez in Philadelphia? Will Sam Bradford cede the starting job to Chase Daniel? The answers appear to be yes, and no, respectively. When speaking to reporters today, Eagles coach Doug Pederson seemingly inferred that Sanchez is now out of the picture.

In response to a question about his quarterback depth chart, the coach said, “Sam Bradford is the No. 1. Chase Daniel is the No. 2. And we’re working on the No. 3,” (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

That statement seems to be good news for Bradford as he is still in line to be the team’s starter, despite the sizable deal given to Daniel this week. Sanchez, of course, is conspicuously absent there and one has to think that he will be shopped in the coming weeks. The USC product is entering his contract year and is slated to earn $4.5MM in base salary while carrying a $5.5MM cap number.

Daniel and Pederson have history, which helped lead the two sides to a deal this week. The former Chiefs signal caller got a sizable deal from Philly, which led many to believe that he was being brought in as more than just a clipboard holder. Daniel, entering his age-30 season has attempted only 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. He ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC East Rumors: Bradford, Eagles, Giants

March 9th, 2016 at 1:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the NFC East:

It’s not necessarily likely, but the Eagles could theoretically trade Sam Bradford, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first $5.5MM installment of Bradford’s $11MM signing bonus isn’t due until March 18, 2016, according to a source. The second installment is not due until September 1st. The Eagles have yet to pay Bradford anything on this new pact and, in theory, they could trade him without paying out any portion of his new contract. After signing Chase Daniel, it’s at least fair to wonder if Philly could consider such a move.
Giants tight end Larry Donnell received full clearance from his neck injury, agent Tamika Cheatham tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter) hears that the Giants have not seen his latest test results and, therefore, the team has not yet cleared him medically.
Washington plans to hang on to Perry Riley, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Keim notes that Washington liked how Riley played next to Will Compton before he went down with an injury.

Eagles, Sam Bradford Agree To Two-Year Deal

March 1st, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Luke Adams

6:10pm: ESPN’s Andrew Brandt has several details on Bradford’s new deal (all via Twitter). $22MM of that $26MM in guaranteed money is fully guaranteed. The quarterback will make $18MM ($11MM bonus, $7MM salary) of that money in 2016, but that number could be increased to $20MM with playoff wins. With $7MM in salary and $5.5MM in pro-rated bonus, that means the quarterback’s cap hit will be worth $12.5MM for this upcoming season.

$4MM of Bradford’s 2017 salary is fully guaranteed, with another $4MM guaranteed for injury. His base salary for 2017 is worth $13MM, tweets USA Today’s Tom Pelissero.

As Brandt notes, the $22MM in fully guaranteed money is $2MM more than Bradford could have received via the franchise tag (not including the playoff incentives). Meanwhile, the Eagles essentially get a second-year option worth only $4MM.

3:24pm: The Eagles didn’t use their franchise tag on Sam Bradford today, but it seems the team did get a new deal done with the quarterback right around the same tag as the franchise-tag deadline. The club announced (via Twitter) that it has agreed to terms on a two-year contract for Bradford.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Bradford’s new two-year contract is worth $36MM overall, including $26MM in guaranteed money. It’ll be interesting to see the full breakdown of the deal, since on the surface, it looks very solid for Bradford, particularly if that $26MM is fully guaranteed.

If he had been franchised, the former No. 1 overall pick would have been in line for a salary just under $20MM. By the looks of it, he’ll average $18MM for the next two seasons instead, though Rand Getlin of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that the new contract could max out at $40MM, via incentives. That would mean matching this year’s franchise-tag salary in terms of average annual value, so it’s clear that figure was a point of reference in negotiations.

Bradford, acquired a year ago by Chip Kelly‘s Eagles in a trade with the Rams, had his ups and downs in 14 starts for Philadelphia in 2015, but his overall numbers were solid. The Oklahoma product set new career-highs with a 65.0% completion percentage, and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.

While there was some skepticism when Kelly was fired that the Eagles would make a significant effort to lock up their incumbent quarterback, reports in recent days have suggested the team was pushing hard to make it happen. It’s been a productive offseason so far in Philadelphia, with the club finalizing extensions with safety Malcolm Jenkins, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, defensive lineman Vinny Curry, and tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, in addition to Bradford.

Meanwhile, with Bradford locked up and Kirk Cousins getting the franchise tag earlier today, the quarterback market looks less appealing than it did 24 hours ago for QB-needy teams. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler, and Chase Daniel are among the signal-callers still on track for potential unrestricted free agency next week, while Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick are candidates to be released or traded.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Likely To Retain Sam Bradford

February 29th, 2016 at 7:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

If quarterback Sam Bradford isn’t under Eagles control by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag or transition tag, the pending free agent will hold off on signing a deal until he gauges his interest on the market, reports Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, and Eagles vice president Howie Roseman met at the combine last week and will talk again Tuesday, according to Bowen (Twitter link).

Free agency begins March 9, but the “legal tampering” period – which starts March 7 – will enable Bradford and Condon to negotiate with other teams beforehand. There’s a question, though, as to how many other clubs will have interest in Bradford if it gets to that point. Neither the Texans nor Browns are expected to pursue the 28-year-old, per Bowen, while the market for his services will shrink by two more if the Broncos and Jets take the predicted paths of re-signing Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick, respectively.

In the end, the Eagles and Bradford might be the best match for one another, notes Bowen, who adds that the likelihood is the two sides will renew their relationship. For the Eagles’ part, it appears they’ll have a hard time finding a signal-caller who’s clearly an upgrade over Bradford through free agency or the draft, in which they hold the 13th overall pick. The expectation is that the two best QBs in this year’s rookie class, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and California’s Jared Goff, will be long gone by then.

Bradford, whom the Rams took No. 1 overall in 2010 draft, has battled various injuries – including two torn ACLs – during his career and hasn’t been great when healthy. The former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Oklahoma has appeared in 63 of a possible 96 regular-season games, totaling 78 touchdowns and 52 interceptions while putting up an 81.0 passer rating.

Former Eagles head coach and football czar Chip Kelly, whom the team fired in December, acquired Bradford from the Rams last offseason in exchange for QB Nick Foles and a second-round pick. Bradford then started 14 games (his most since 2012) and established new career highs in completion percentage (65.0), yards (3,725) and yards per attempt (7.00). He also tossed 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Bradford was particularly effective from November onward, connecting on better than 68 percent of attempts while amassing 10 TDs and four picks. The Eagles went 7-7 in Bradford’s starts, 0-2 with backup Mark Sanchez under center, and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Bradford made just under $13MM last season to conclude his six-year, $78MM rookie contract. It appears highly doubtful his next deal will approach either the length or total value of his expiring pact.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman

February 29th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.

“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.

As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….

Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.