In case you've been living under a rock, you probably heard that the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams agreed to a quarterback swap involving Nick Foles and Sam Bradford.
The details of the trade were unclear when it was first announced. With each conflicting report, Eagles fans were sent on a roller coaster of emotions, the zenith of which was when it was reported that the deal involved swapping first round picks (the Eagles 20th for the Rams 10th). Everyone assumed that it was a precursor to the Birds trading up to get Marcus Mariota, since no one in their right mind would think Sam Bradford was the answer at quarterback.
However, a harsh dose of reality caused those hopes to come crashing down when the draft pick compensation was disclosed:
Eagles acquire QB Sam Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick for Rams QB Nick Foles, a 2015 sixth-rounder and a 2016 second-rounder.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 10, 2015
Condition to Foles/Bradford deal … If Bradford doesn't start 8 games, Eagles get a 4th round pick back. If he's reinjured, they get a 3..
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 10, 2015
The Eagles did… what?! Why in the world would the Eagles give up draft picks and the younger, more successful, cheaper quarterback for an older, more expensive, injury prone draft bust? And what does it mean for the Eagles chances to get Mariota?
We decided to all chime in with our thoughts on the deal and what it means for the Eagles moving forward:
Michael Coggin:
I don’t even know where to begin. First, Foles could have been under team control for 3 more years: given the last year on his rookie deal & the possibility of two consecutive franchise tags. Contrast this with Bradford’s deal: which will have the Eagles shell out $13M in 2015. Second, let’s consider the injury histories. Foles has never completed a 16 game season: having suffered a concussion in 2013 & broken collarbone last year. Bradford: two consecutive seasons with an ACL tear & has played in only 49 games of his 80 game NFL career. Finally, let’s consider that—despite sending a fourth & second round pick to St Louis for the pleasure of eating their albatross QB contract—the Eagles got only a fifth round pick in return. My blood pressure is starting to climb again. This is an absolute travesty. Not only does this put the Eagles farther away from obtaining a franchise signal-caller, it robs them of both draft picks & the cap space =necessary to draft/extend/acquire/etc. young talent. If nothing changes by the end of the draft & the Eagles move toward 2015 with Bradford & Sanchez taking snaps, you have to begin to question how long the Kelly era will last in South Philadelphia.
Patrick Causey:
First let's put the disclaimer out there: if this is the first step in getting Marcus Mariota, then I am okay with the deal. It seems implausible, given that the Eagles just took on Bradford's massive contract and gave up a second and fourth round picks in the trade. But as we reported yesterday, there are teams at the top of the draft that reportedly valued Bradford above Winston and Mariota, so perhaps there is still hope for the long discussed Mariota/Kelly reunion.
Otherwise, I got nothing.
On paper, Foles has clearly been the superior player:
|
Nick Foles |
Sam Bradford |
|
|
Age |
26 | 27 |
|
W/L |
15-9 | 18-30-1 |
|
Yards |
6,753 | 11, 065 |
|
Cmp % |
61.6 | 58.6 |
|
TDs |
46 | 59 |
|
TDs % |
5.2 | 3.4 |
|
INTs |
17 | 38 |
|
INT % |
1.9 | 2.2 |
|
Y/A |
7.6 | 6.3 |
|
Rate |
94.2 | 79.3 |
|
QBR |
58.123 | 40.695 |
And while I get that Bradford lacked talent on the Rams during his career, is his current situation in Philadelphia — where Chip Kelly has jettisoned playmakers Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, and DeSean Jackson — any better? But another way, is a combination of Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles that much better than what Bradford had in St. Louis to expect his play to improve? I have serious doubts.
But my concerns about this deal go beyond just questioning whether Sam Bradford is the solution for the Eagles at quarterback. While I have few doubts about Chip Kelly's acumen as a head coach, I am starting to develop serious reservations about Chip Kelly the GM. I wrote back in January that Jeffrey Lurie was making a mistake giving all this power to one person. I don't bring this up to brag, but more to show that there is precedent to good head coaches (Andy Reid, Bill Parcels), coming up short as player evaluators.
At a minimum, one would think that the Eagles should have been the team receiving draft picks in return for taking on the older, more expensive, and less successful player. I get that other teams were in on Bradford, per SI.com's Peter King. But is Bradford really valued that much more than Foles — presumably based only on his "upside" — that the Eagles had to give up a second and fourth round pick to make this deal work? Or is this just another example of Chip Kelly lacking an understanding of value in the NFL — like we saw when he had to be talked out of drafting Taylor Hart in the 3rd round? Or like when he tried to sign Frank Gore, a 32 year old running back with 2,500 plus carries, to a three year deal?
That, to me, is the biggest concern about this trade: Kelly the GM is woefully in over his head, and there is no one within the Eagles organization with enough clout to save him from himself.
Kevin Durso
The Eagles trading Nick Foles didn't overly surprise me. The warning signs were there as he struggled through what would be an injury-riddled season and reports surfaced that Mark Sanchez was returning. What was shocking was the complete swap of quarterbacks and the baffling pick compensation.
