Sam Bradford

Latest On Sam Bradford, Eagles

February 28th, 2016 at 11:30am CST by Rory Parks

11:30am: Mike Garafolo of FOXSports writes that the Eagles upped their offer to Bradford during the team’s meetings with Condon last week. Although the terms of the offer remain unknown, sources indicate that the offer is “at the top of [Bradford’s] expected range on the open market and…should help get him under contract before that market opens on March 9.”

10:00am: In keeping with other reports we have heard this month, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer and colleague Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirm that the Eagles’ “Plan A” for the quarterback position is to re-sign Sam Bradford. However, the team is not committed to Bradford to the extent that it would be willing to use the franchise tag on him, leading Ford to write that Bradford would be welcomed back with open arms, but not necessarily an open wallet.

If Bradford does choose to test the free agent waters, McLane believes that he may not have as many suitors as he and his agent, Tom Condon, once thought. Indeed, McLane’s informal poll of league executives, coaches, scouts, and agents strongly suggested that Bradford will test the market only to realize that his best option will be to remain in Philadelphia. Negotiations between Bradford and the Eagles are still ongoing, but it remains unclear how much of a gap the two parties will need to bridge.

Ford, for his part, looks at some of the options Bradford could have if he and the Eagles are unable to strike a deal. The teams with both an unsettled quarterback situation and a significant amount of cap space include the Rams, Browns, and 49ers. There is no way Bradford returns to the Rams, the team that originally drafted him, and while the 49ers make some sense as a potential landing spot–assuming San Francisco parts ways with Colin Kaepernick–Ford is skeptical that Bradford would voluntarily sign up for “another chance to get killed in a Chip Kelly offense.” At this point, it is even harder to imagine a quarterback with any alternatives choosing to play for Cleveland.

Ford describes the Texans as having a tighter cap situation than the three above-referenced clubs, but Houston does have over $31MM in cap room, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. The Texans are looking for a fresh start at the quarterback position, and a competent quarterback like Bradford, along with the team’s excellent defense, could allow them to make a deep playoff run. As of now, though, the fit between Bradford and Houston is merely a speculative one.

Outside of those possible destinations, teams like Washington, the Broncos, and the Jets are currently engaged in mating dances with their own signal-callers, and if one or more of those negotiations break down, Bradford could have that many more suitors, but that does not seem especially likely at the moment.

As such, Bradford could, as McLane’s poll suggests, end up needing the Eagles. But Condon, of course, will also say the Eagles need Bradford. There are no “can’t-miss” quarterback prospects in the draft, and the free agent crop of QBs is predictably underwhelming. New head coach Doug Pederson has been touting free agent Chase Daniel as a starting-caliber player, but that may be as much a negotiating ploy as a legitimately-held belief (although Pederson, who coached Daniel in Kansas City, does appear to truly believe in Daniel’s skill-set).

McLane writes that the Eagles do have a backup plan if Bradford walks, which would likely be to use the team’s No. 13 overall pick on one of the consensus top three quarterbacks in the draft: Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, or Paxton Lynch (assuming, of course, one of them falls to the Eagles). And even if Bradford returns, the team is likely to use a late-round selection on a developmental project. But at the moment, it appears that Bradford and the Eagles will end up back together. The question is when that will happen, and at what price.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

La Canfora’s Latest: Hali, Bengals, Rams, Colts

February 26th, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After renegotiating his contract last May, and adding four void years to the end of his deal, Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9, and he although the expectation is that he’ll return to Kansas City for an 11th season, he would walk into a strong market were he to reach free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a league devoid of pass rush talent, Hali, who posted 6.5 sacks last year at the age of 32, could land a surprisingly large contract, per La Canfora.

Let’s dive into the latest from the CBS Sports scribe:

The Bengals consider receiver Marvin Jones, cornerback Adam Jones, and safety Reggie Nelson their three most important free agents, sources tell La Canfora. For his part, Jones is expected to test free agency, while Nelson has expressed a strong desire to return to Cincinnati.
A report earlier today indicated that the Rams plan to place the franchise or transition tag on either Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson, and La Canfora reports that the odds of Los Angeles completing a long-term deal with either corner before the March 1 tag deadline is “bleak.” Therefore, it’s possible the Rams are forced to simply use the tag on one player, and let the either leave via free agency.
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford might not have many suitors on the open market, per La Canfora, so Philadelphia could be smart to let him gauge his value in free agency rather than striking a deal now or using the franchise tag. La Canfora does point to Chip Kelly and the 49ers as one possible landing spot for Bradford (if San Francisco trades Colin Kaepernick).
La Canfora believes Dwayne Allen is the more likely tight end to remain with the Colts, arguing that he’s a more complete player than Coby Fleener. Whichever tight end does leave Indianapolis, adds La Canfora, could be candidate to fill the void left by Heath Miller on the Steelers‘ roster.
In a separate piece, La Canfora examines whether the “franchise tag-and-trade” concept — which the Dolphins are reportedly mulling using with defensive end Olivier Vernon — could become a leaguewide trend.

NFC East Notes: Bradford, Ryans, Washington, Donnell

February 25th, 2016 at 7:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the NFC East:

Having spoken this week at the combine about how they’d like to re-sign Sam Bradford, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and GM Howie Roseman met with the quarterback’s agent, Tom Condon, on Wednesday in Indianapolis, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.
Agent Ben Dogra says the Eagles did not offer to keep DeMeco Ryans at a lower figure, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Dogra added that his client wants to continue his playing career after being cut by Philadelphia.
Washington team officials and agents for some of the club’s players will meet Friday to discuss contract restructurings, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Jones lists receiver Pierre Garcon ($10.2MM), defensive end Jason Hatcher ($8.7MM) and safety Dashon Goldson ($8MM) as players whose deals Washington could look to rework.
Giants general manager Jerry Reese updated the status of tight end Larry Donnell, whose season ended in December because of a neck injury. “We’re expecting him to be back, but necks can be tricky, so we’ll have to wait and see where that goes,” Reese said Thursday. “Hopefully he can get healthy and come back and continue his career.” Despite Reese’s guarded statement, Donnell’s neck injury isn’t a “career concern,” a source tells the New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson

February 24th, 2016 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).

Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:

Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.

Free Agent Rumors: Matthews, Bradford, Nelson

February 23rd, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Last Friday, we heard that the Dolphins had reached out to free agent wide receiver Rishard Matthews about a possible new deal. The news was somewhat surprising, since Matthews had long been considered a lock to leave Miami in search of a team that would give him an opportunity for more playing time.

According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), it looks like that’s still the case. Getlin reports that Matthews is “very likely” to reach the open market, adding that the market for the wideout “will be hot.” Matthews set new career highs in 2015 with 43 receptions, 662 yards, and four touchdowns, and while those numbers are relatively modest, they were compiled in just 11 games. Considering how weak this year’s free agent class of receivers is, there may very well be teams that view Matthews as a viable No. 2 option, and Miami almost certainly can’t afford to pay him like a No. 2.

Here are a few more updates on current free agent or free-agent-to-be from around the NFL:

Some rival teams are doubtful that Sam Bradford will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9th, believing that he may re-sign with the Eagles before then, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that if Bradford does hit the open market, he might not receive the kind of lucrative long-term offers he’d expect, making a one-year, prove-it deal a possibility. I’m somewhat skeptical about that — I think Bradford’s second-half performance would ensure that at least one or two teams are willing to invest heavily in him.
The Cardinals are not interested in bringing Antonio Cromartie back to Arizona, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Cromartie spent a season with the team in 2014, earning a Pro Bowl spot, but the Cards were willing to let him walk in free agency, and don’t appear eager to pursue him now that he’s back on the market.
Safety Reggie Nelson saw his 2015 season come to an end when he left the Bengals‘ Wild Card loss with a sprained ankle, and he doesn’t want that to be his last play with the team. “Most definitely not,” Nelson said recently, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “They know that. Everybody knows that. I would love to be a Bengal.” According to Hobson, the Bengals aren’t expected to strike deals with their free agents at this week’s combine, but the club figures to discuss possible parameters for Nelson and others.

East Rumors: McCoy, R. Matthews, Bradford

February 19th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office released a statement today that essentially says there’s no update on the LeSean McCoy investigation (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).

“I understand that people are interested in the outcome of our investigation, but we’re not going to rush because some people are impatient,” said Philadelphia DA R. Seth Williams in the statement, adding that his “only goal is to get it right, not fast.”

Williams said he has not yet decided whether to press charges against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least next week for any sort of decision.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been considered likely to leave the Dolphins this offseason, but the club has reached out to Mathews about discussing a new deal, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily means that the Fins will re-sign Mathews, but there’s some level of interest in bringing him back.
The Eagles continue to say they want to re-sign quarterback Sam Bradford, with de-facto GM Howie Roseman the latest to weigh in on the topic, as Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com details. Still, Roseman cautioned that any deal has “got to work for the other side and the player” in addition to working for the team. At this point, I’d be surprised if the two sides got something done prior to free agency, unless the Eagles are willing to use the franchise tag, since there’s no incentive for Bradford to accept a below-market offer.
While it’s premature to say Jets linebacker Demario Davis is a goner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the team to let Davis test the open market, where he’s likely to get a better deal than the Jets will be willing to offer.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie will make $1.1MM on his new one-year contract with the team, which features $275K in guaranteed money.

NFC East Notes: Bradford, Giants, Cowboys

February 16th, 2016 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, an ESPN report indicated that the Eagles were not expected to use their franchise tag to lock up quarterback Sam Bradford. At the time, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News said the team had yet to make a decision on Bradford. However, with the franchise-tag window opening today, Bowen now agrees that the Eagles “don’t seem wed” to the QB to the extent that they’d dedicate nearly $20MM in 2016 cap space to him via the franchise or transition tag.

While the Eagles appear unwilling to use their franchise tag on Bradford, they still may re-sign him. If the two sides don’t work out a new deal prior to March 9th, the former first overall pick will hit the open market, and Philadelphia may have to address its quarterback situation with a free agent or a draft pick — or both.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Like their division rivals in Philadelphia, the Giants aren’t particularly likely to use the franchise tag. If they do, the top candidate will probably be kicker Josh Brown, as James Kratch of NJ.com outlines. Still, Kratch thinks the club can find a middle ground between Brown’s $1MM 2015 salary, and the projected franchise salary for kickers (around $4.5MM).
The Cowboys need a cornerback, but David Moore of The Dallas Morning News isn’t so sure that they should use their No. 4 pick to fill that hole. For starters, Dallas has used a first-round pick on a cornerback twice in the last eight years, selecting Mike Jenkins and Morris Claiborne, and those picks haven’t worked out. Beyond that, Moore points to elite corners like Chris Harris and Josh Norman as evidence that plenty of top CBs can be found in the later rounds.
The Giants are taking a look at two players from overseas, according to NFL Draft Diamonds, which reports that tight end Harry Innis and wide receiver Anthony Dablé are working out for New York. Per NFL Draft Diamonds, both players – who have excelled in European leagues – have drawn NFL interest from multiple teams.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eagles Haven’t Discussed Nick Foles Return?

February 8th, 2016 at 8:18am CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday afternoon, it was reported that the Eagles were discussing a possible reunion with quarterback Nick Foles. However, according to one Eagles beat writer, that is simply not the case. The Eagles have not had internal talks about pursuing Foles, who is now a member of the Rams, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The buzz about a Foles return began less than 24 hours ago when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that new head coach Doug Pederson was interested in making that a reality. Schefter also heard that the Eagles will not use the franchise tag on Sam Bradford if the two sides cannot reach an agreement on a new contract. Berman hears that no decision has been made with regards to using the tag on Bradford. If the Eagles do use the tag on him, they’ll be on the hook for roughly $20MM in 2016.

Bradford, who came to the Eagles in the trade that sent Foles to the Rams, struggled out of the gate in his first season in Philly, though he did play much better in the second half of the year as he grew more comfortable in Chip Kelly‘s offense. Kelly, in his capacity as head coach/personnel executive, was responsible for bringing Bradford to the Eagles, but Kelly was fired before the end of the season. Pederson has taken his place on the sidelines and displaced VP of football operations Howie Roseman regained his authority over personnel matters and it would make sense that both men would want to hand-pick their own QB. However, things still appear to be fluid with regards to Bradford.

Pederson was on Philadelphia’s staff when the team drafted Foles in the third round of the 2012 season, and he served as Foles’ quarterbacks coach that year. Roseman, of course, was in charge of the front office during that period. Foles, for his part, was an abject failure in his first season with the Rams, completing just 56.4% of his passes and throwing seven touchdowns against ten interceptions in 11 games. He did, however, sign a two-year extension with the club prior to the beginning of the 2015 campaign, so he remains under contract through the 2017 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Unlikely To Franchise Sam Bradford, Interested In Nick Foles?

February 7th, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

12:44pm: It appears that Bowen’s skepticism may have been well-founded. McLane says the Eagles have not yet made a decision on Bradford, and Foles’ cap number ($8.75MM) and dead money hit ($8MM) would make a trade highly unlikely (Twitter links). In a full-length piece, Bowen says the same thing, writing that there is “no chance” that Philadelphia will reacquire Foles.

12:00pm: The Eagles are not expected to use the franchise tag on Sam Bradford if the two sides cannot reach an agreement on a new contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). However, Schefter reports that Philadelphia does have “some” interest in re-signing Bradford.

Bradford, who came to the Eagles in the trade that sent Nick Foles to the Rams, struggled out of the gate in his first season in Philly, though he did play much better in the second half of the year as he grew more comfortable in Chip Kelly‘s offense. Kelly, in his capacity as head coach/personnel executive, was responsible for bringing Bradford to the Eagles, but Kelly was fired before the end of the season and the team hired Doug Pederson to take his place on the sidelines while displaced vice president of football operations Howie Roseman regained his authority over personnel matters. As such, two of the team’s biggest decision-makers have no real commitment to Bradford.

On the other hand, Pederson was on Philadelphia’s staff when the team drafted Foles in the third round of the 2012 season, and he served as Foles’ quarterbacks coach that year. In a second tweet, Schefter reports that Pederson is interested in bringing Foles back to the Eagles. Foles, for his part, was an abject failure in his first season with the Rams, completing just 56.4% of his passes and throwing seven touchdowns against ten interceptions in 11 games. He did, however, sign a two-year extension with the club prior to the beginning of the 2015 campaign, so he remains under contract through the 2017 season.

Neither Foles nor Bradford represents anything close to a perfect solution, but Bradford was clearly the superior player in 2015, and the fact that he managed to stay largely healthy and continued to improve down the stretch indicates that the team would be better off retaining him rather than attempting to reacquire Foles. That is especially true if Bradford can be had for a one-year deal, as former NFL agent Joel Corry suggested at the end of January. Even if the Eagles’ decision not to tag Bradford is understandable–after all, a $20MM commitment is a steep price for an imperfect player with a considerable injury history, and Bradford could always hold out–any attempts to bring back Foles at the expense of Bradford would be considerably less justifiable.

Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Roseman is known for his intentional misdirection, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, and now that he is back in charge of personnel matters, it is probably wise to take reports like this one with more than one grain of salt. Indeed, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News has made his skepticism on the matter quite plain in a series of tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Goldson, Eli

February 4th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

After meeting with several candidates for their front office opening, the Eagles have halted their search for a new personnel chief for now, as we learned earlier this week. Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Howie Roseman explained why the team doesn’t plan to fill that position until after the draft.

“Just by the nature of the time of year, teams aren’t necessarily going to be so aligned with [a comprehensive search],” Roseman said. “We’re looking at this as a long-term decision for us – not just a five-month decision. The candidates we looked at were good, but we also want to make sure we’re looking at all the good candidates that are available.”

Roseman was also asked about the possibility of re-signing quarterback Sam Bradford and extending defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, and while he declined to go into specifics, he expressed some interest in locking up both players. “Everything is positive about Sam” and the Eagles have the cap space to re-sign him, according to Roseman, who said of Cox, “We’d love for him not only to start his career but finish his career as an Eagle.”

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

Although Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap initially thought the Eagles overpaid offensive tackle Lane Johnson on his new extension, a deeper dive into the number reveals the deal is more team-friendly than it looks on the surface, as Fitzgerald explains.
Mike Jones of the Washington Post weighs the pro and cons of Washington franchising Kirk Cousins or signing him to a multiyear deal, concluding that locking the quarterback up to a long-term deal now would “probably bring more benefits” than the franchise tag would.
Veteran safety Dashon Goldson is set to count for $8MM on Washington‘s books in 2016, and the team could clear that entire amount by cutting him. However, John Keim of ESPN.com thinks Goldson will stick around, perhaps after accepting a pay cut or restructure, since the club still values what he can provide both on the field and in the locker room.
As his 39-year-old brother prepares to play what could be his last game, Giants quarterback Eli Manning said this week that he believes he has several more good years of football in him and is optimistic about playing until he’s 40, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

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