Patrick Causey, on Twitter @PhillySportsPMC
According to a report from Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, Sam Bradford is "looking great," has been working hard on his rehab all summer, and "should be ready to go when training camp opens."
This is welcomed news to say the least. There were legitimate concerns about whether Bradford would be healthy for the start of training camp. Bradford is coming off his second surgically-repaired ACL, that last of which he suffered in August, 2014. He has not played a competitive football game since week 7 of the 2013 NFL season.
When Eagles fans and media first saw Bradford in action at the voluntary OTAs, he walked with a noticeable limp and was held out of most of drills. This caused many to speculate whether Bradford would even be healthy for the start of training camp.
This report suggests that Bradford should be all systems go come August 1, which is consistent with Bradford's expectations all along: "If I'm not ready for 11 on 11 by training camp, then something has gone horribly wrong," Bradford said. "That's the plan right now. We're going to keep plugging away and be ready when camp starts."
Questions still remain with Bradford. For starters, being ready for 11 on 11 is different than being game ready. And it is also fair to question whether Bradford can stay healthy for the entire season, something he has not done since 2012. Finally, even if Bradford can stay healthy, there are legitimate questions as to whether he is an upgrade over Nick Foles, who the Eagles traded in the deal to acquire Bradford.
But for now, this should be encouraging news to the Eagles and their fans. Bradford should be able to hit the ground running (even if with a slight limp), which should give him the best shot to be ready for the upcoming season.
This is also encouraging news for Bradford. As our own Kevin Durso reported earlier this week, the Eagles quarterback has decided to bet on himself this season and play out his contract as opposed to signing a long-term (and likely cheaper) deal now. Jeremy Maclin did the same thing last year coming off his second torn-ACL, and was able to put up career numbers in Chip Kelly's offense. Here's hoping Bradford has similar success with the Eagles, but actually sticks with the team and doesn't sign elsewhere.
