Close Article Return to stream X
NFL

Philadelphia Eagles 2015 Training Camp Profile: QB Sam Bradford

+Read full article
sam bradford philadelphia eagles

Getty Images

When news broke that Chip Kelly traded Nick Foles and a second-round draft pick for Sam Bradford, calling the reaction a nuclear shockwave would be putting it mildly. Bradford was nowhere near being on the radar as the Philadelphia Eagles’ new quarterback. Honestly, it was either stick with Foles or go get Marcus Mariota.

Now that the dust has settled, Bradford finds himself in the midst of recovering from yet another injury as training camp approaches. His main threat to the starting job is Mark Sanchez, a rather underwhelming prospect Kelly is trying to milk whatever potential he can out of him.

Even though Sanchez is healthier and has a year of experience in Kelly’s system, Bradford’s main competition is really his knee. If Bradford is healthy, he’s the starter on opening day. Right now Sanchez is just holding the fort down; Bradford’s knee will determine how long that remains the case.

Bradford’s decisiveness and arm strength will be the two biggest traits of his that stand out. The main reason Kelly ditched Foles was because Foles wasn’t a quick decision maker. He notoriously held onto the ball for too long, leading to turnovers and sacks that really screwed up the flow of the offense.

Conversely, Bradford is used to getting the ball out quickly, and that factor makes a world of difference in Kelly’s offense. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Bradford has a cannon for an arm that will make Sanchez’s throws look like slow pitch softball. Bradford can put the ball anywhere he wants to on the field, which will really help open things up downfield. That element was lacking last year and really affected the way the Eagles did business.

Currently, Bradford seems to be at the tail end of the second stage in Kelly’s three-step process of rehab. He’s comfortably executing 7-on-7 drills in the hopes that come training camp, he’ll be ready to handle more rigorous and involved activities. Assuming everything goes according to plan, Bradford will be the Week 1 starter, and hopefully living up to the promise.

Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL. 

Your Favorites