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Ian Rapoport had some interesting tweets on Wednesday afternoon. According to the NFL media insider, the Tennessee Titans were one of the teams interested in Sam Bradford when he was still on the St. Louis Rams earlier this offseason.
Some have asked if #Eagles could deal Sam Bradford in trade up to No. 2. #Titans inquired with #Rams about Bradford months ago. (1/2).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2015
This matches up with a report from mid-March that some NFL coaches believe the Eagles acquired Bradford to use as a trade chip with Tennessee in order to get Marcus Mariota.
""Interesting to hear some coaches [at WVU] pro day who said [they're] not convinced [with Kelly and Bradford]. They think [Bradford is] still bait for [the] Titans, not [a system] fit.""
It also potentially lines up with something that Jason Cole reported back in February about how teams at the top of the 2015 NFL Draft order prefer Bradford over the likes of Mariota and Jameis Winston.
But Rapoport doesn't believe the Titans really want Bradford that badly after all.
If #Titans wanted Sam Bradford, they would’ve been more engaged with #Rams about trading for him before he was sent to Philly. (2/2)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2015
It's a fair point. If the Titans really wanted Bradford, they might have been more aggressive in getting a deal done. Then again, perhaps the Rams didn't like that the Titans couldn't really offer a proven quarterback in return for Bradford. St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher cited Nick Foles as part of the reason the Rams chose to deal with the Eagles.
There's been a lot of talk this offseason about how the Titans are interested in Philip Rivers. Recent reports indicate Rivers was the Chargers' "Plan A" option but it's not likely to happen now.
So would Tennessee be interested in acquiring Bradford in a deal that helps the Eagles land Mariota? ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that the Eagles are one of a few teams negotiating with the Titans, so perhaps it's possible.