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I think it's safe to say the opinion on Sam Bradford is fairly split in Philadelphia. I've seen a number of Eagles fans suggest he can be "the guy" moving forward. I've also seen a number of Eagles fans who lament the loss of Philadelphia's 2016 second round pick and are ready to move on from Bradford. The good news (I guess) is that there's plenty of time to debate about Bradford before the Eagles have to make a decision on his future in March.
In the meantime, I've brought us here to revisit the trade that brought Bradford to Philadelphia. I'm interested in seeing if you still think the Eagles won or lost the deal. Shortly after the trade was made in early March, only 16% of Eagles fans approved. How have things changed since?
Before you answer, I want to show you this from our friends over at Rams SB Nation site Turf Show Times:
The Rams will have the 44th pick in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, thanks to the trade with the Eagles. Unless they can turn that into a rookie pro bowl pick, they have lost this trade.
In my opinion, the Eagles won this trade outright. The Eagles got a starting corner and solid QB play. The Rams got a backup G/T and a backup QB. In my bold season predictions piece, I said Sam Bradford would outplay Nick Foles and it won't even be close. Unfortunately, Foles' performance made that look less like a bold prediction and more of a fact.
Of course, that's just one writers opinion. But these numbers provide a much larger sample:
I'm honestly surprised to see so many Rams fans against the trade. Sure, Foles was predictably terrible, but at least the Rams still have a second round pick to show for it. Bradford was definitely better than Foles, but how much better? Here's how they each rank among quarterbacks who played a minimum of 25% of their team's snaps:
Sam Bradford | Rank | Nick Foles | Rank | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Completion% | 65.0% | 11th | 56.4% | 36th |
Yards/Attempt | 7.0 | 25th | 6.1 | 37th |
Passer Rating | 86.4 | 26th | 69.0 | 36th |
Here are some more unconventional metrics:
Sam Bradford | Nick Foles | |
---|---|---|
DVOA | 24th | 37th |
PFF Grade | 12th | 37th |
Again, Bradford was easily better. But was he worth the second round pick? That's where the frustration still lies for many. If Bradford have proved himself as the undisputed franchise quarterback this team needs, he'd easily be worth it. But he hasn't done that. You can make a case for him as "the future" but there's a real possibility the Eagles just won't be a championship contender with him at the helm. And this is coming from someone who isn't as down as Bradford as others.
Complicating matters in all of this is Bradford is a free agent after the season. He might not want to come back. The team might not want him back. The opposite could be true in either case. The Eagles shouldn't feel like they have to commit to Bradford just because they traded for him (see: sunk cost fallacy) but he might be one of their best quarterback options moving forward.
In any case, I'm curious to see how Eagles fans feel about the Bradford trade today, especially in comparison to how Rams weighed in. Vote in our poll below.