Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback (plus Jim Keane's golf buddy) and current ESPN NFL analyst Ron Jaworski is running his annual "Jaws QB Countdown" where he ranks every starting quarterback in the league from 32 to 1. Last year Jaws had Nick Foles at No. 15 overall. This year, Jaws ranks Sam Bradford at No. 20. His explanation:
"The last time Sam Bradford played was in 2013. He made seven starts before a torn ACL ended his season. There has never been a question about Bradford’s throwing ability. And many will remember that he played in a speed tempo offense in college that ran more than 80 plays per game in his Heisman trophy-winning season. Here’s what you’ll see in Philadelphia. Bradford in the shotgun, a lot of run-action looks and vertical seam throws. Vertical seam throws are a staple of Chip Kelly’s pass offense. The run-action holds the underneath defenders. Then you get a matchup you like – an athletic tight end on a linebacker. These seam throws versus man coverage demand precise ball location. Bradford, at his best, is that kind of passer."
No. 20 is a little higher than where NFL insiders ranked Bradford at No. 23 earlier this summer. A good chunk of Eagles fans felt No. 23 was too low, but others thought it was a fair assessment:
Here's the entire list so far. Quarterbacks ranked 1-3 haven't been revealed yet but they include Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning.
No. 32 – Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 31 – Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
No. 30 – Ryan Mallett, Houston Texans
No. 29 – Geno Smith, New York Jets
No. 28 – Josh McCown, Cleveland Browns
No. 27 – Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
No. 26 – Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
No. 25 – Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
No. 24 – Matt Cassel, Buffalo Bills
No. 23 – Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 22 – Nick Foles, St. Louis Rams
No. 21 – Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
No. 20 – Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles
No. 19 – Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
No. 18 – Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
No. 17 – Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
No. 16 – Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
No. 15 – Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
No. 14 – Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
No. 13 – Eli Manning, New York Giants
No. 12 – Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
No. 11 – Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
No. 10 – Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
No. 9 – Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
No. 8 – Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
No. 7 – Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 6 – Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
No. 5 – Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
No. 4 – Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts