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NFL Rumors: A Sam Bradford Trade Would Be A Win-Win Situation For One NFL Team, Player

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 04:58 PST, Apr 26, 2016

NFL rumors are rampant that Sam Bradford has pushed the Philadelphia Eagles to trade him after the franchise acquired the No. 2 selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, according to multiple sources.

Rumors have suggested that the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to the spot to select either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, depending upon who the Los Angeles Rams do not select with the No. 1 overall draft selection. The move angered Sam Bradford enough to request a trade, according to multiple NFL rumors.

Despite the possibility of having the NFL franchise’s future quarterback on the sidelines this season, the Philadelphia Eagles have taken the extraordinary step of confirming Sam Bradford as the starter for the 2016 season. That assurance came from Howie Roseman, the Philadelphia Eagles’ vice president of football operation, in a statement last week obtained by Sports Illustrated.

“Let me be clear, Sam Bradford is our starting quarterback. We have told Sam that. We intend to support him, and the moves we made this off-season we believe will give us a chance to compete this season.”

While the Philadelphia Eagles may have reassured Sam Bradford he would be the starting quarterback, the Oklahoma Sooners product doesn’t seem willing to stick around and see. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Sam Bradford will not show up for their offseason program any longer, according to an unnamed source.

If Sam Bradford is unwilling to continue to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, then another team could take the signal caller this season. Fansided listed five possible homes for Sam Bradford if the Philadelphia Eagles decide to trade their 2015 starting quarterback. According to NFL rumors, teams interested in Sam Bradford include the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Denver Broncos.

Of particular interest on the list is the San Francisco 49ers. The West Coast squad has a similar situation in Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback with a high price tag and a desire to play elsewhere this year, the Inquisitr reported. Conceivably, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers could strike a trade to swap unhappy quarterbacks, providing a win-win situation for all parties involved.

This deal could be especially pleasing to Sam Bradford, as he would be reunited with former NFL coach Chip Kelly in San Francisco. The 49ers have limited depth at the position beyond Colin Kaepernick, a signal caller who led three straight teams to the NFC Championship Game and one Super Bowl berth under former coach Jim Harbaugh. Colin Kaepernick would benefit, too, as new coach Doug Pederson is a West Coast Offense guru who helped former 49ers QB Alex Smith revive his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

That’s not to say the other teams on the list of potential trade partners for Sam Bradford aren’t making a great sales pitch. The defending champion Denver Broncos have also called to inquire about trading for Sam Bradford, NJ Advance Media’s Eliot Shorr-Parks wrote in a recent column. According to the report, the asking price for Sam Bradford was too high.

Indeed, Sam Bradford recently signed a two-year contract worth $36 million, including an enormous $11 million in guaranteed money. The Philadelphia Eagles must find a trade partner capable of taking on this hefty salary. San Francisco again emerges as a realistic possibility as long as the trade involves Colin Kaepernick; the 49ers are having trouble finding a trade partner for their signal caller due to his $15.9 million salary cap hit this year. Should Sam Bradford be willing to restructure his current deal, the two NFL franchises could swap the players for nearly identical salary cap hits.

Teams looking at Sam Bradford see a productive quarterback who went 7-7 in 14 starts last year. Bradford completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,725 yards, and Sam threw 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for an 86.4 passer rating. Those statistics aren’t record-shattering, but they show Sam Bradford is capable of playing at a high level over the course of the season.

While almost all media outlets have published pieces conferring Sam Bradford desires a trade, one website is attempting to debunk the rumors. Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson cites two sources close to the quarterback to base his claims.

“Sam Bradford has not asked for a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles and has no plans to do so, two sources close to the quarterback have told Yahoo Sports. While Philadelphia could still deal Bradford during the draft or ensuing offseason, the sources said Bradford is prepared to prove to the Eagles that he’s a franchise quarterback. He’ll embrace the challenge if he remains in Philadelphia, sources said, despite being upset that the team surrendered draft assets that could have helped him.”

What do you think about the multiple rumors suggesting that Sam Bradford request to be traded? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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denver broncos Philadelphia Eagles Sam Bradford San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick Chip Kelly
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