The NFL Draft came and went last weekend, and despite Bradford's camp requesting a trade, the Eagles made no effort to move the inconsistent signal caller.
So Sam Bradford is still an Eagle, and it's really no shock that Bradford is still in Philadelphia.
There was no market for the veteran's services before the free agency period opened up, and there certainly wasn't going to be a market for him in a situation where a club would be required to part with any kind of significant asset to take on a guy whose career has been filled with nothing but disappointment.
The situation has now become a problem for both sides, one that feels as though it's very unlikely that the Eagles will see a positive outcome from.
The best case scenario for the Birds has Bradford showing up for work, staying healthy, putting together a good statistical season, and maybe even getting the team back into a playoff spot. The team would then have a very tradeable asset next year with Bradford showing that he's been healthy for two consecutive seasons, and also led the team to a fair amount of victories.
It's much more likely that a market for Bradford would develop, and the Eagles could flip him to some quarterback-needy team next year to help replenish some of the draft picks they had to forfeit in the trade for Carson Wentz.
However, that dream scenario is very unlikely to come together.
Start with the reality that Bradford, even when healthy and happy, has always been a mediocre quarterback throughout his career. Bradford has never led a team to the playoffs. He's never had a winning season. He's only stayed healthy for a full 16-game schedule once. He's never thrown for 4,000 yards. He's surpassed the 20-touchdown mark only once in six seasons.
The track record of losing and mediocrity in Bradford's career is well-documented. After having been in the league for as long as he's been, he's just never produced at anywhere close to the level that would allow the Eagles to get the trade return they'd seek next year.
Now add in the equation Bradford's unhappiness.
While Bradford certainly doesn't have nearly the same destructive personality as a Terrell Owens, his grief has the potential to become quite the distraction as the season goes on.
Rookie head coach Doug Pederson is very much an unknown, and it's far from ideal to have a first-year coach dealing with an issue of this magnitude in the locker room. The Eagles are coming off of a season in which internal turmoil played a major role in the downfall of previous head coach Chip Kelly, and with Jeffrey Lurie putting a great deal of importance on "emotional intelligence" and the idea of a stable environment, having this situation linger throughout the entire year just doesn't seem to be a step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, the Eagles may have no choice but to endure Bradford for a year. The team could release him without taking on a ridiculous amount of dead money after June 1, but such an outcome doesn't seem likely.
In the bigger picture, the Eagles are going to do everything they can to make Carson Wentz a success. The plan was to have him sit for a year, and such a plan will be much more feasible with Bradford on the roster and starting in September. Chase Daniel is too much of an unknown to turn to at the start of the year, and if he were to falter, the calls for Wentz on both the inside and outside of the organization would only intensify.
The Eagles appear to have themselves ready for a lengthy standoff with Bradford. Whether or not it will all be worth it remains to be seen.
Denny Basens is a contributing writer for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @DennyBasens.
