Late last night there was a report that the Broncos "are in" on a potential trade for Sam Bradford. It appears NFL insider Adam Schefter doesn't get the same sense. Schefter appeared in an interview on 97.5 The Fanatic's Morning Show on Thursday and threw cold water on the idea of an Eagles-Broncos trade.
"The Broncos told me yesterday 'No, Sam Bradford’s not going to happen.' Denver is not expecting to trade for Sam Bradford right now," he said. "That’s 100% accurate."
I've been skeptical of Denver's (or any team's) interest in Bradford. The Eagles seem pretty insistent on keeping the disgruntled quarterback unless a strong offer comes their way, which it probably won't. Philadelphia holds all the leverage with Bradford because if he holds out the quarterback will only hurt himself financially.
While Schefter seemed pretty confident that a Bradford deal isn't going to happen, he did reserve the right to say things could change due to the presence of the 2016 NFL Draft.
"I really believe, in talking with [the Broncos] yesterday, that they’re going to be … that they feel like they’re content with [Mark] Sanchez and Trevor Siemian," Schefter said. "Which, I don’t remember the last time we’ve had a defending Super Bowl champion head into a season defending the Super Bowl title with a more unsettled quarterback situation.
"The 49ers, I don’t know — and this is the great part of the draft, deadline spurring action and everything. Things could change at the last moment. Maybe the 49ers’ stance changes, maybe the Eagles’ stance changes, but I don’t think 49ers are dealing Colin Kaepernick. I don’t think the Eagles are dealing Sam Bradford. And I think the Broncos, right now, are in the Mark Sanchez/Trevor Siemian business and looking into what quarterback they can pluck out of this draft. That’s where things stand today. We’ll see if anything changes tonight, but right now, it is trending to go that way right now."
If Bradford doesn't get dealt this weekend, it'll be even tougher for him to get traded because teams with quarterback needs will address that position in the draft. The more time passes without a trade also means the less time he'll get to have learning a new team's offense. Time is not in Bradford's favor.
Again, the only way I think Bradford gets dealt is if it's a situation where the Eagles clearly can't refuse the deal. Otherwise he's just going to have to deal with Chase Daniel and (likely) Carson Wentz also sharing the quarterback room.
Denver does not expect Philadelphia to trade Sam Bradford to Broncos or to any team, per sources. Broncos now mulling other QB options.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2016