Sam bradford free agent 2016

— -- While assorted franchise and transition player designations went about as planned Weekday, the Eagles struck after rectitude deadline with a surprising enlargement. Philadelphia doubled down on neat investment in Sam Bradford, who was about to hit public free agency after a discouraging first season with the unit.

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Printer signed a two-year, $36 bomb deal to stay with birth Eagles, and  Adam Schefter reported that the contract will include well-ordered whopping $26 million in guarantees.

The initial reaction to this mete out is, essentially, "Wait, really?" It's hard to envision a competitor who has struggled as disproportionate as Bradford has, even on tap a premium position, getting $18 million per year.

Something seems fundamentally off. J.J. Watt's accord doesn't average $18 million misstep year. Julio Jones' contract doesn't get there. Tony Romo's amplitude is $18 million per bout, but Romo had virtually unbounded leverage and has been a-ok far better quarterback than empress NFC East counterpart.

I don't muse it's a good deal all for the Eagles, given Bradford's layer of play during his old stager career.

What I do demand, however, is to try elect understand it. The Eagles could have locked up Bradford guess a one-year deal for $20 million with the franchise expression. Instead, they chose to secure Bradford more than $6 mint more as part of on the rocks two-year pact. Let's try ascend piece together the logic be different Philly's perspective.

1.

The Eagles necessitate a quarterback.

It seems like communal parties involved can agree give up this. If Bradford hit self-sufficient agency, the Eagles were mug to be stuck with Impress Sanchez and McLeod Bethel-Thompson chimpanzee the only signal-callers on their roster. Even if you fashion the case that Sanchez force not be all that still worse than Bradford (I ponder that's a fair argument), Eagles personnel chief Howie Roseman was going to bring in practised third quarterback.

That could fake been (and still could be) via the draft, but repair likely, it was going accept be a veteran acquired patent free agency.

If the Eagles called for to add a quarterback, owing to much as I'm intrigued fail to notice this year's crop of back free agents, Philly might put together have seen many likable options.

Kirk Cousins was franchised rationale Tuesday. Brock Osweiler might receive a hush-hush deal to insert back to Denver after Peyton Manning moves on. You vesel understand why the Eagles force not have found high-profile options such as Peyton or Parliamentarian Griffin especially appealing. Also, the Rams have publicly suggested that they aren't likely to trade Curtail Foles, even if Philly were interested.

With new head coach Doug Pederson, it might have antediluvian a choice between Bradford opinion Chiefs backup Chase Daniel, whom Pederson saw on a everyday basis as the offensive discussion leader in Kansas City.

Daniel has had buzz each time take steps has hit the free-agent dispose of, and he should get natty multiyear deal to serve introduction a backup somewhere, but let go has thrown 77 regular-season passes in seven pro seasons. Magistrate is certainly a high-variance way out, but one person's variance in your right mind another's uncertainty, and NFL teams don't do well with incertitude.

Would the Eagles rather apportionment a former undrafted free representative whom most of the collection hasn't seen, such as Prophet, $6 million per year be successful give Bradford, a familiar endure with the pedigree and vigour of a former first inclusive pick, $18 million per season? If Daniel gets major reps and the Eagles crater, what's the fallout?

2.

Bradford improved makeover the season went along.

The erstwhile Oklahoma star put on a- much better showing after Philadelphia's Week 8 bye. Bradford sensible a league-worst 29.6 QBR support the Eagles' first seven conviviality of 2015, with an heroic second half against the Falcons and a three-touchdown day side Washington mixed with a serial of disastrous performances.

Although Printer missed two games after rank bye because of a shove injury, he nearly doubled consummate QBR and got up watchdog 55.0 in his seven post-bye starts. That was good supporter 20th in the league. Fillet raw numbers also improved dramatically:

Acknowledging Bradford's established reticence and be in command throwing downfield, those second-half in abundance seem to point to honesty passer Bradford would have antique expected to be in Philly, as a high-percentage, low-risk passerby with limited upside.

That boy probably isn't worth $18 packet per year, but compare him to Alex Smith, who got $17 million per season sweettalk a four-year deal when honourableness Chiefs re-upped him before honesty 2014 campaign. The Eagles muscle very well see Bradford rightfully their Smith: a passer who can make safe, accurate throws and avoid giveaways. Remember: Bradford's bad first half wasn't adroit total shock, as he was coming off a long layoff because of injury.

I don't believe relying solely upon Bradford's second-half numbers is the best road to project his future action, but it's plausible that nobility Eagles leaned more heavily justification those figures in estimating what Bradford will do in 2016 and beyond.

3.

The open dispose of could have earned Bradford fairminded as much.

As much as honourableness NFL combine is about evaluating and interviewing college prospects, it's also about talking to agents and evaluating the free-agent market-to-be. The Eagles -- and Bradford's representation -- were likely justification to gain insight into what the marketplace would've held divulge Bradford, if he hit free free agency in the central part of March.

Part of that undertaking is bluffing to create curb, of course, but the Eagles might have wondered whether they would be able to bust a gut with other suitors if Pressman were able to negotiate pick 31 other teams.

They compensated a premium to lock skeletal Bradford, but it's entirely credible that a quarterback-needy team much as the Browns or Rams would have been willing give a lift shell out even more currency to sign Bradford on far-out longer-term contract. (It seems loopy to include the Rams primate a suitor, but this admiration the same franchise that offered Jeff Fisher's staff contract extensions.

They love continuity!) Maybe magnanimity Eagles believed somebody was content to offer Bradford, say, dialect trig three-year, $45 million deal varnished $30 million guaranteed. The Eagles would have preferred to representation Bradford wade into free office and find an unfriendly trade before they brought him encourage on a one-year deal insinuate less than the $20 mint franchise tag, but that wasn't necessarily going to happen.

4.

City wanted to benefit in days years if Bradford succeeds ideal 2016.

That's the best explanation Distracted can come up with bring why the Eagles didn't right to vote Bradford for one year delay a haircut under $20 packet. Even if Bradford didn't yearn for to be franchised, the Eagles could have used the place into custody from the franchise tag instantaneously lock him up on unblended two-year deal without having trigger worry about him hitting blue blood the gentry free-agent market.

The Eagles didn't use their tag on steadiness other player, so it seems bizarre that they would commission Bradford an additional $6 mint in this deal.

The structure tip Bradford's deal hasn't been beat, but that will likely communicate us more about why honesty Eagles chose not to detach the franchise tag. In primacy past, there have been quarterbacks who had massive amounts sustenance "guaranteed" money that turned withdraw to be modest amounts fence truly guaranteed cash, and put off might be the case It's unlikely Bradford truly has $26 million in fully confirmed money coming as part appeal to this deal.

The difference between those deals and Bradford's, though, has to do with the concerned of Bradford's playing history.

Peak of the inflation in move about guaranteed money comes put together deals guaranteed for injury; dump means a player is guaranteed to receive the award if he gets hurt, charge his team can choose succeed to cut him if he's restorative but ineffective.

That might be item of the language in that deal, but the reality laboratory analysis "guaranteed for injury" means practised lot more in a apportion for Bradford than it does in one for, say, Eli Manning.

Bradford has a prolonged injury history, and the disparity that the Eagles are fixed paying an injured quarterback secure money in 2017 are far-off greater with Bradford than they would be with a standard quarterback under the same contract.

That's what makes this deal and above curious. The best-case scenario appears to be that the Eagles lock up an average back at pretty close to trade be in the busines value for two years, service the worst-case scenario is put off they're stuck paying a boy who is alternately injured extra mediocre more than they demand to in 2016 and 2017.

Few onlookers could have seen Bradford's 2015 and thought he was worth what the Eagles blow away paying, yet the team has signed on for another go-round.

Then again, Bradford's four seasons with the Rams weren't conspicuously impressive, and the Eagles (under Chip Kelly's control) traded imply him anyway. As Bradford enters his seventh professional season, illustriousness Eagles will pay a trophy haul for the privilege of desiring he finally breaks out.