SammyGate
Posted: April 25th, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 227 Comments »I was away from the computer most of the day. Apparently I missed some stuff.
Eagles have been informed Sam Bradford wants to be traded and he will not be showing up for their off-season program any longer, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2016
This is a joke, right?
Tom Condon: "Sam wants to be the guy. He does not view himself as a stop-gap quarterback."
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 26, 2016
Oh boy.
Lots of good tweets on this.
@Noah_Becker It is amazing that SB seems so confused that the Eagles are most committed to the franchise winning rather than Bradford.
— Sam Lynch (@shlynch) April 26, 2016
Bradford and his agent are delusional about his status in the league. He hasn't earned the right to not have competition.
— Greg Richards (@igglesnut) April 26, 2016
How can a mega-agent not foresee that when any minimally savvy fan could see it as a possibility clear as day? https://t.co/pFvjXs82gH
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) April 26, 2016
Agent Tom Condon says @Eagles have not given him permission to seek a Sam Bradford trade. Sam won't be at voluntary workouts. @SiriusXMNFL
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) April 26, 2016
What team that trades for Sam would view him as "the guy" and where was that team in free agency? https://t.co/AUeW9Xppug
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) April 26, 2016
This is just an insane situation.
Bradford was getting good money to start for the Eagles in 2016. At the end of that, he would either be cut or traded…or possibly brought back for 2017. He was not going to be the long term answer unless he played so incredibly well that the Eagles had no choice but to keep him around.
Now Bradford has burned bridges with the front office and in the locker room. He could try to undo this mess by showing up and explaining that his agent was over-zealous with the trade talk, but that wouldn’t pass the smell test for most people.
Sam is acting like an entitled baby with this situation. He just came off a good 7-game stretch. That earned him a chance to come back this year. Nothing more. He didn’t play well enough for the Eagles, or any other team, to give him a mega-deal. He simply didn’t deserve that.
There were plenty of reasons to be encouraged about Bradford after last year and heading into this season, but this move really hurts him. There will be incredible scrutiny on him with every word and action from here on out. He will be booed relentlessly if he stays with the Eagles.
Here is part of a piece by Charles Robinson of Yahoo.
Bradford’s emotions since the Eagles moved to the No. 2 overall pick in this week’s NFL draft – largely to secure a quarterback – have centered on anger and a resolve to solidify his standing as a long-term franchise quarterback, a source said. After the trade last week, the source said Bradford directly expressed his disappointment in a talk with some team officials, but he didn’t indicate a trade desire. Indeed, until Monday’s trade request, the source said Bradford appeared adamant that he was a viable long-term answer at quarterback.
That changed by the end of the weekend, when Bradford’s initial frustration with the Eagles’ draft move hardened during voluntary practices last week. Coming out of those sessions, the source said a question lingered into the weekend for Bradford, specifically whether he was being viewed as a team leader, or a placeholder for an incoming rookie quarterback. By Monday, he had considered his options and ultimately chose to ask the Eagles for a trade.
Philadelphia’s initial response was to deny the trade request, a league source said. That stance could change with Bradford relaying his intention to skip coach Doug Pederson’s offseason program and miss vital time learning the new offense.
I just don’t get this.
Bradford simply didn’t have the history/goodwill/power to pull a move like this. Know your place. If Bradford was coveted enough to simply get his way, he would have signed a bigger deal elsewhere.
Really disappointing that Sam pulled this stunt.
The Eagles now have to figure out if there is any logic to playing hardball with him or if they should work out a trade and just cut their losses.
One bit of advice…don’t touch another “high character” veteran who went to Oklahoma. After dealing with DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford, I’d wipe that school off my scouting list. I know Lane Johnson has been a good Eagle, but he sure seems like the anomaly.
Ugh. I hate having to deal with a mess like this during draft week.
Let’s close with this beauty.
Sam Bradford realizes he's the primary reason that the #Rams and the #Eagles are both in the market for a long-term QB, right?
— Danny O'Neil (@dannyoneil) April 26, 2016
_
When Jason LaConfora takes Howie’s side and tells you to stop whining, you’re probably in the wrong:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/25566490/does-anyone-feel-sorry-for-sam-bradford-eagles-qb-needs-to-quit-whining
https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/724771508200071168
Wow what a hit piece. Jason goes all in on Bradford and Condon…
I thought the same thing. Brutal.
I’m loving this article!
[…] Tommy Lawlor I was away from the computer most of the day. Apparently I missed some stuff. Eagles have been […]
Every damn year there’s drama with this team.
Is rare for Tommy to go all in on a player but i think Bradford deserves it. Honestly hope we get a 2nd rounder and we just move on because i do not want a whinny little bitch around my rookie QB. The 15-20% chance that i though Bradford had to put it all together and become the guy has gone down to 1% at best. You have to react better to challenges than throwing your toys out.
What happens when the Broncos trade a 2nd round for him in 2017 and then take Cook at 31? Demand another trade?
You can add Foles and Bradford are both the reason Rams and Eagles traded up for a QB. Both were fools gold i guess – and i count myself a fool. But, Wentz is the real deal (please be true)
Foles at least has one good season in the NFL.
Danny O’Neil spot on.
Tommy,
I am shocked and offended that you would include a tweet from Greg Richards in your post. From the occasional upvotes and complimentary sunglasses I received, I was led to believe that I was the unquestioned leader of the comment section.
Seeing the attention devoted to Greg, I feel I have no choice but to demand a trade to the MildHigh Blog.
Mate they do not see you as a long term starter either.. they are lowballing us with a 5th rounder for someone of your skills? what does that say about their commitment to you being their franchise poster?
You seem to be implying that no one sees me as a long-term solution. I can only assume you are basing that off the fact that mere weeks ago when I was available to any blog as a long-term option, not a single one was interested.
To imply that the same opinions still prevail despite the fact that I have done nothing to improve them is absolutely proposterous for a bunch of reasons that I am not going to explain.
As for Tommy’s refusal to discuss terms with Mild High, we will see if he is unswayed when I choose not to participate in his voluntary online polls and my random posting of frowny face emojis.
More free sunglasses than the average person sees in a lifetime only buys so much loyalty, and Tommy burned through it. It was all well and good when Baloophi was obviously second fiddle, but another credientialed fiddler? Unacceptable.
Have your agent call me.
Ok, I get it, Sammy Sleaves didn’t earn himself any stability at the Eagles. But I don’t think he’s being unreasonable considering his circumstances. He’s had, what, 4 different offensive coordinators in 6 years? Now he’s got 2 more to learn? He knows its hard to excel the first year when you’re learning a system. Why add extra years of uncertainty and failure? Despite how much money he’s made, I doubt he feels like a success, I doubt he’s particularly proud of what he’s accomplished, and I’m sure he feels like he could do much better with a decent line and OC. I’m sure he wants to prove the doubters wrong. The Eagles are looking out for themselves, as they should. So is Sammy. Nothing irrational about that. He could do a lot worse than end up with the Broncos. The time is now, before they lock someone else up.
He has to go out and play great to save his career in 2016. If he does that then he could have 1 or more years with the Eagles or get the kind of trade package and contract that means he is guaranteed a starting job for 2-3 years.
Nothing changes by requesting a trade except hugely damaging his reputation with the league, his team mates and the Eagles.. the team he is most likely to be starting for in 2016 and the team that showed by far the greatest financial commitment to him.
You might be right – its an open question (to my mind) of what makes the most tactical sense. I’m no agent so I really have no idea. But the desire to leave is pretty rational so I’m not shocked that he’s asking for it. The Broncos will probably be off the table if he waits a year, and if I were him that place would look pretty attractive. Maybe he’ll have an all-pro year with the Eagles and up his stock or maybe blow out his knee on his 1 yr contract (basically) and end his career.
So there’s pros and cons either way. It all depends on who’s interested in him now and how much he’s worth on the market. His career window will only be open so long, and he hasn’t had great luck so far, with injuries and dysfunctional teams to deal with. I’d love to see him play here for another year. I’d love to see if he could step it up. But my point is, his reaction makes sense. Why learn yet another system, why invest in a team that sees him as a placeholder? Whether its a shrewd move or not… I guess we’ll see.
“But I don’t think he’s being unreasonable considering his circumstances.”
I don’t mind this being done quietly. Hell, Howie should have already been in conversations with people about moving Bradford for the right price. Bradford driving down his price by making it known he’s trying to leave makes it less likely the team will be able to trade him for a return that allows him to leave.
The timing on this whole thing seems odd to me…was Sam at voluntary team activities? Did Chase out play him in the new offense? Is Sam going to lose out to Chase in a straight up competition? Is that what scared him, the fear of being beaten out by Chase Daniel?
Joe Banner thinks the Eagles might have to settle with Denver’s third rounder since Elway is really a tough nut to bite.
Question to you Tommy and my Eagles fellas:
Would you bite if you were Howie R?!
Basically paying $11M for a third rounder. No thanks.
Agreed, see how the draft plays out… if the Jets and Denver get new shiny QB’s then he has to sulk his way back onto the team and if they do not then suddenly you have a sellers market and get more out of a team that matches the money the Eagles are eating.
I think we should just take L. Trade Sam for a 3rd. Better than him dividing the locker room or doing squats in his driveway
rather he do the squats, he needs the leg work.
I’m thinking Jeffrey and a potential loss of 11m and Howie Roseman with a potential cap loss of 5.5m the next two years are pretty hard to crack too.
I fully understand not only wanted to get compensated for Bradford the player, but the loss of cap space. I wouldn’t settle for a 3rd, when the Broncos pick last. If they picked around pick 15, I’d consider it with some late round picks or some conditional 2017 picks, 1 based on Bradfords health, 1 later conditional based on his performance. I want their second, but I wouldn’t be dispersuaded by the pick being next year.
I’d take their 3rd this year and a conditional 2017 pick that slides between a 2 and 4 based on # of games played by Bradford.
3rd this year and 2nd next maybe.
Call his bluff and let him waste a year of that epic defense.
NO WAY
I wait until a 2nd team enters the bidding. If BOTH the Broncos and Jets miss on getting Paxton Lynch, that’ll give the Eagles a 20 hours or so to work the phones before the start of round two to get a better deal than a pick at the end of the 3rd round.
There’s only one way to get out of this SammyGate drama:
Draft a punter with the #2 pick.
And risk DonnieGate? That would tear this team apart!
What could Howie be asking for? No way it is a first. Not a player – well, maybe not. Definitely with losing a second to get Bradford, it seems a second is it. Or maybe Howie is saying the Broncos first, is more like a second.
It might be the fact that Broncos are last in each round that is an issue. The Broncos could say a 3rd, and Howie could say that is one pick from a 4th.
Howie probably knows a 2nd wont happen, even if asking for it right now. Probably trying to negotiate for a 3rd. Broncos probably are hoping to give only a 4th. Do some conditionals and make it a 2017 4th with conditions it can be a 3rd.
Think they are looking for mid 2nd type value probably. So their 2nd and 4th probably gets the deal done… and fills out our draft nicely.
That would be such a great deal.
Think about Howie’s offseason if he pulls that off….
This is the first time that Bradford would be playing with competition for his position. I was hoping he would gain focus, that it would light a fire under him. However, he’s already running with his tail between his legs at the first sign of added pressure.
He still had the chance to keep his job (he would have to have a fantastic season). If he had a good season, it would make more teams interested in a trade.
I know QBs have to be confidence, but this kind of self-confidence is bordering on delusional. Perhaps the Eagles’ decision to trade up to the 2nd pick was a smart move after all.
Exactly…best thing he could have done for his career what shut up and play. This essentially happened to Drew Brees and last time I checked it seems to be working about pretty well for him.
Maybe we should hope the Rams take Wentz so we can get the NFL ready QB, Goff. LOL.
I’ve been hoping the Rams take Wentz all along. I think Goff is a better passer
I am weirdly concerned by his Trump hands… I keep reminding myself that the best arm and best athlete =/= best QB. I see a bit of Brady in Goff (but no where near the same drive). I would be happy with both but i there is something i just like more about Wentz…
The Brady we see now isn’t the same guy who was drafted.
Goff/Wentz have time to grow. I just think Goff has the better pocket presence and accuracy. I also think he fits into a WCO. I don’t know what happens 4 years from now, only that I like Goff better today.
LA is going ruin whatever QB they get anyway
You calling Goff a cheater?
Cutting the Eagles losses might be the play because by these recent actions Bradford has disqualified himself as a leader of the Eagles or any other team. By refusing to take part in the off season training and pass on learning the system of the new coach only days after signing his new contract, Bradford has alienated the team. They may not say so in public but it is inconceivable that his teammates do not think that this a petulant, childish reaction and not within the bounds of what it takes to be a leader.
Further, given Bradfords historic level of success he needs to put in all the work he can.
i just noticed the ram and eagles both traded up both sams former teams. lmfao
he’s feeling some sort of way huh CTFU
Why is there a Greg Richards tweet in that group of tweets? lol
GR has clout
maybe a peanut allergy
Hard for me to decipher if it’s all bradford or his agent, or his wife. Response seems so delayed.
Bradford has spent a year in philly where the backup Qb is always the most popular guy on the team. He’d basically have to be Aaron Rodgers to be here for another year so i don’t understand why people are so mad that he wants a trade. There’s literally 0 chance he’s here long term. He made it clear that he wanted the chance to be in a system more than one year and grow with a team that’s not going to happen here, so feel like Eagles should get a 4th and move on.
Many saw the SB deal as a good “audition” contract, play well, get a deal gain continuity with a team, players, system. Probably how it was sold to him and Tom, and that makes sense but when it’s a “placeholder” contract i can see how that would be unacceptable from Bradford’s POV.
Tommy I’m sort of surprised you’re so one sided on this, typically you at least see the other POV.
Entitled baby with no mental toughness.
Jamie Apody
Verified account
@JamieApody
According to Bradford’s agent Sam wants out because w/ the 2nd pick behind him “you better play well or you’ll hear it from the fans.”
This is Philly. The backup could be a 7th round pick and the fans will be calling for him if you don’t perform. Deal with it. You know how you don’t generate good will from the fans? By abandoning your team.
Why is Condon actively trying to crater Sam’s value?
Condon doesn’t care if Philly gets a 2nd or a 7th.
Sure, but he’s not just cratering his trade value for Eagles, he’s cratering his value to other teams too.
Think other teams understand the situation .
He’s just looking to get his share on another contract. Vulture
Bradford is abandoning the team?
That maybe overstates things but he wants to be the unquestioned starter and the starter should be learning the offense and be with his teammates. His agent is saying that picking a QB at #2 undermines his leadership but he himself is putting his leadership in question by staying away.
I think he’d prefer not to learn a system when he’s not going to be here next year
Maybe but he’s not helping his marketability. His agent had a chance to gauge his market and it was luke-warm. They decided his best option was to take a short-term deal with PHI that lacked a long-term commitment. Of course, he hoped that his play could make the Eagles commit to him long-term and that likelihood is reduced with the drafting of Bradford. However, that hasn’t changed what his value is to other teams. If other teams weren’t willing to make him the type of offer that signaled he was “the man” before FA began, then what has changed now. Sure not all teams have answered all ? marks and there will be teams interested in bringing him in, but it is very doubtful that he’s going to find another team that doesn’t view him as a stop-gap solution.
Crying foul about a situation of his making now is surely not going to help his reputation in the league or make it such that a team would make an offer that might actually entice the Eagles to make a move. Sitting out and not learning the offense is not going to help his play this year and elevate his standing enough that another team would commit to him as a long-term solution. I can understand quietly making a request to the Eagles to see if they can trade him before this draft and even sit-out and use some prior family commitment excuse or something. However, if something isn’t worked out before this draft, the best path for him is to show the league and the Eagles up by playing his best this year. That will create a market for him in the future.
Force a trade, make sure eagles get no compensation .
I don’t think he wants him traded. He wants him released so he gets another piece of another contract
I think the key difference here is between a team that is willing to commit to him as a stopgap solution, and a team that definitively ONLY sees him as a stopgap solution. Based on his current stance, my guess is that this offseason Sam was willing to recognize that he hadn’t earned the leaguewide status commensurate with a long-term elite starter financial commitment, but he was looking to put himself in a such circumstances as might ultimately lead to that evaluation, with whatever organization protecting themselves financially at the same time.
He’s 28. He’s played in about a billion different systems. It’s not like he’s gonna be like “Holy shit a dig-post vs cover 3? This is madness I say! MADNESS!”
Not a good look for him…at all. He is delusional. Like…clinically delusional. He’s acting like no one has ever given him a shot. If you’re one of the upper echelan QBs, which clearly he thinks he is, then you can play well in any system or any circumstance. And if you’re simply a meddling, middle of the road QB (which we clearly know he is), you need a lot things around you to go right (see: Eli Manning) to be considered a top tier QB. Bottom line: I’m tired of the narrative that playing in so many systems has not allowed him to be a good QB when the truth is that if he played like a franchise guy they wouldnt have felt the need to make any changes.
Re your first sentence, we already have three current Eagles qbs on this interesting crazy scenario. So why bring up McNabb?
This really fails decision making 101. Why do you have your agent making you look worse than just a rumor would make you look? Now everyone in Philly is going to always hate him. There is no erasing what was done today, mostly by his agent.
I don’t see any way that his future with the team is tenable.
So to continue the Draft Day plot, the Eagles have to do the following:
— Draft Jalen Ramsey with #2
— Trade a few second round picks with Chip to get #7
— Carson Wentz still on the board at #7, so trade #7 to the Browns for #8, our first round, second round picks back.
— Draft Zeke with #8.
— Impregnate Jennifer Garner
— smoke a cigar.
Cigars should be smoked after a job well done, not after wasting a top 10 pick on Elliot.
Agreed, but just keeping with draft day plot.
Conspiracy theory — Did Howie anticipate this and anticipate trading Bradford if he could pull off a trade for #2? Is that why he paid so much for Chase Daniel? Food for thought…
No, Howie would not have structured his contract to have an $11M hit if traded.
But what if that’s the only way Howie gets a pick out of it? The Broncos don’t have a ton of money to spend.
But then he hamstrung himself against signing Fletch and Bennie to long term extensions with the wasted capspace.
Honestly, I’ve sometimes wondered whether it isn’t good strategy to incur a cap hit and then trade the player.
ie Sam on a $20m+ contract is untradable. At that price, other teams could have just signed him as a free agent earlier this season and given up nothing. But now that we’ve paid him, they can get him on a $7m contract, with a team option for next year that is cheaper than the franchise tag – which is probably very attractive, and might even net us an early pick.
If we trade him, we’ve essentially traded cap space (and Lurie’s $) for a draft pick or two. Which sounds like a valid strategy, or at least an option to have in the toolkit and assess on a case by case basis (depending on the player, the $ and the draft compensation).
Exactly. Howie is a genius.
think this is why condon is making a huge stink, so eagles can’t get level of pick they thought they would. i think they probably expected same to have a decent year, maybe ryan fitzpatrick level from last year then they could recoup picks
We’re not exactly flush with cap space to be taking hits for other teams. Not good business IMO.
It is not really additional cap space just you don’t have a player to show for it.
Want a hug tlaw?
Think Bradford wants one more.
What sucks is that Bradford won’t really be tradable until June 1, when they can split his dead money between two years.
Not really because his salary would come off books. They have enough room to absorb the hit.
Just switch this to “trade” in the right column. We’d net back $1.5 million vs. the cap this year and $17 next year. No reason to play post June 1st games.
http://overthecap.com/player/sam-bradford/1349/
The most annoying thing about this whole thing is that both Sam and his agent knew they were signing a one year – prove it deal when they signed it. What did the draft do to change that realization?
Not a prove it deal. Literally 0 chance Bradford gets a long term deal here. Even if wentz isn’t ready next year he’s playing, too expensive to sit him multiple years.
I don’t agree that it’s set in stone. If Bradford shows he is the real deal, sure, maybe they cut or trade him. But they could also just sit Wentz for another year and he’ll be no more expensive than Daniel. Or they’ll trade Wentz for a net loss in draft picks and do it with a smile because they found their franchise QB (assuming they can tie up Bradford long term).
wentz will be here and he’ll start, you could have made that argument if eagles hadn’t traded up, but to give up all that $$ and sam is just a leftover from the ck regime, writing is on the wall.
You may be right, and I’d agree it at least raises the bar for Bradford (if he stays here this season). I’d compare it to the Brees/Rivers situation at SD (although that was before the rookie wage scale), where Brees played well but was still let go.
However, fundamentally the draft picks are a sunk cost, and the $$ aren’t that bad for the QB position. So if Bradford stays here this season and plays well, they SHOULD at least consider keeping either or both QBs. And it would be tough to cut him, if (hypothetically) he stays here, throws 35+ TD and leads the team to the NFC championship game.
Brees hurt his shoulder and doctors were not sure if he would even get fully back. That made it a much easier decision for San Diego.
He could try and prove it to other teams. The contract didn’t limit him to only proving it to the Eagles.
I think it was partially the predictable QB drama which made it seem less likely that the Eagles were going to go for the #2 pick — creates a weird logjam. Might have been fine if a QB fell to number 8 and the Eagles took him — but when you spend that much, most teams are pretty set on that guy long term regardless of how well the incumbent plays.
The Eagles paid Bradford starter money, so he can probably be forgiven for thinking he had at least this year to really impress them for a long-term contract. He has been in different systems basically every year — and this year will be no different — and I can’t blame him for wanting a chance to play in the same system next year. The Eagles now seem very unlikely to offer that chance, and I’m sure he’d now prefer another team where it’s at least a possibility rather than cycle another year.
That said, he’s handling it very poorly from sounds of it. If someone told him playing for the fans who wanted to see the new kid would be tough, I hope they told him what pulling this stunt would do.
If he wants to give the signing bonus back and tear up the rest of the contract, maybe that’d be OK. Otherwise, we’d better get a 2nd. Might be worth playing hardball and keeping him on the roster if not.
Easy fix here. Trade Von Miller for Sam Bradford and Brandon Graham. Both Miller and Bradford can negotiate new contracts and both teams win. Eagles get a premier pass rusher. Broncos get the perfect QB for their team with a super bowl caliber defense and a young pass rusher to replace Miller. Hey, we can dream right? Imagine Von Miller and Fletcher Cox attacking QB’s in Jim Schwartz scheme’s.
Gods that would be fantastic
Graham is older than Miller.
I tend to agree with many of the comments people have made about how bad this looks (and actually is) for Sam.
However, there is a slight bit of perspective that hit me, that perhaps it’s important to consider.
Imagine if we had drafted Wentz or anyone else at #8. Or if we picked up another guy later, like Cardale Jones, or Brissett or Prescott or whoever. Even Wentz at #8, I don’t think Sam raises a stink. That’s quarterback competition without any strings attached.
HOWEVER, if the team gives up a bunch of picks to move up to #2 specifically for a quarterback, that’s kind of different. That’s not quite the same as drafting Sam’s replacement. That’s pretty much saying “you’re gone in a year or two, sorry.” In the first scenario, even if they pick up Goff or Wentz at #8, and Sam outplays him, you could make the case that it’s worth signing Sam to a long term deal if he plays really well. That’s still a guy Sam has a chance of beating out, even if he costs a first round pick. The team can cover that loss if Sam’s the man.
But with the number of picks involved, there’s no way Sam is the man. Even if he plays lights out, how could the team possibly sign him to a long term deal and just wash their hands of those picks? It would be insane. The fact is, with such a huge deal made, there’s no way Sam can win the long term job. So all the talk about “just show up and do your job” kind of rings hollow when it’s pretty much guaranteed that he’s gone.
Long story short, this trade means Sam has zero shot of winning the long term starting job, something he had every intent on trying to do, even in the fact of competition. He’d have to win the Super Bowl this coming year for them to even consider keeping him over Wentz at this point, though, and the team isn’t built for that. So the whole thing about signing a 2-year “prove it” deal is kind of useless if he’s barred from ever actually proving anything.
If Bradford plays ‘lights out’ next season, becoming a franchise caliber QB, then the Eagles keep him. Howie’s aim is to have a franchise caliber QB, if Bradford proves to be ‘it’ then I’m sure he would be delighted. Surprised, but delighted. They can then choose to either trade or develop Wentz.
Not really, though. What kind of deal are you going to get if you move Wentz at that point? Nothing close to what you gave up to get him. You might get a couple of mid rounders, maybe a first. But he cost 2 firsts, a second, and a third. Do you really think the fans are going to sit still for dumping Wentz? Do you really think they have the same notion of “franchise QB” that the team does?
I like the _idea_ of stockpiling quarterbacks, and love the idea of Wentz, Daniel, and Bradford competing to see who the best man is. But this isn’t a level playing field for Sam anymore after that trade. I’m not saying I would have handled it the same way (hell, I’d probably have handled it worse!). But at least I understand the frustration. Being sold on a chance to prove it, even against a first rounder, feels a lot different now after all those assets were moved. Instead of saying “we think you might be our guy”, the team is saying “please occupy this space for the next year or so”.
Look what they got for Kolb.
Alternatively to playing lights out, if Sam were to play very well, then when the Igs cut him at the end of the year his negotiations are based on having demonstrated he’s a solid quarterback. Now, he’s pushing for a trade that will lock him into the second year of the Igs contract, but his status is: the same guy who couldn’t get a big free agent deal, and he’s not even willing to do the ‘show me’ part of his $20MM contract. I wonder what other teams will think about that? It doesn’t seem to help him, it seems to hurt his future negotiating ability.
I tend to agree, I’m just saying, his side of the story isn’t entirely “I’m a big pussy who can’t handle competition”, which is what all of the Philly internet tough guys are claiming. There is a slight here, and Sam has a right to be angry. He could have handled it better, even if only for his own sake, as you point out.
He is. But not here. Yes locked on the same prove it deal. But why play for a team who you know is cutting you eoy when same made it super clear continuity was most important . There’s a 1% chance that even if he plays well he stays. I’d be out too at least play somewhere where you can build.
sammy boy just answered the question to why he’s not a franchise qb. no guts, fragile ego, no killer instinct. hes’s been exposed..not a leader….next!!!!!!!
More like RosebudGate, freaking snake in the grass
Just get him out of here. I have no tolerance for this.
… and this is probably exactly Condon’s strategy; piss off the fanbase enough that it forces Roseman to trade.
LAEagle makes the case very well that, with all the draft assets expended on acquiring Wentz, Bradford had no meaningful avenue to becoming the Eagles’ franchise QB.
What’s so striking is how quickly Bradford and Condon chose to go public with their disaffection.
Why not convey those feelings privately?
Why publicly chose to be so emotionally and psychologically weak?
What’s Bradford gained?
Seems like the worst of all tactics.
I think that is flawed; if Bradford played lights out and proved to be the franchise guy, Wentz is still a valuable asset on a rookie deal you could potentially trade.
0% chance wentz would ever get traded 2 1sts+, nope, never.
He would if Sam Bradford finally lived up to his so-claimed potential.
But writing that made me throw up a little in my mouth. I can’t believe how much I hate Bradford now. Really really salty about what he did today.
Doug owes nothing to sam – hes paying chase, howie owes nothing to sam, chip brought him here. Bradford would have ot have an aaron rodgers type year – and instead of getting a rb, or a tackle or a wr to help the team they blew a draft on sam’s replacement.
Actually 1, 2 and 3 and swap of 4’s.
The only way Bradford plays well is if the lights DO go out. As long as the opponents can see him…NFW.
I believe the tactic is to invite other teams to call the Eagles to engage in potential trade talks. The Eagles have not given Condon permission to seek a trade so those teams need to contact us directly. I don’t agree with these tactics either, but Condon must have felt this was best for his client. Past history suggests the Eagles generally fold and either release, cut or trade unhappy players. I can’t recall a situation in recent memory where the eagles did not get rid of the troubled players in the end. If history repeats itself this will end with SB not being on the roster in 2016 one way or another.
Think the tactic is designed to try and makes us dump him on draft night for whatever the best offer is, where as we want to keep him unless a team blows our socks off with an offer
i’m sure they did, howie said no trade.
The world already knew who Sam Bradford plays football to benefit (Sam Bradford). I think we could just as easily ask: What has he lost?
Surely, they took the best contract offer in FA.
Surely, Condon reassured Bradford that he is an elite QB being paid slightly less than elite QB money to play for a team that wants him to take the reigns, and just put up one good year before putting pen to paper on that elusive 120+ million dollar contract.
Surely Condon, super agent to QBs, made guarantees that even if the Eagles don’t want to pony up that kind of cash, after a good 2016 campaign Bradford will be in high demand with other teams.
Is this about Bradford, or is it about Condon losing face in his defeat negotiating with Roseman?
I’m inclined to say that this is an embarrassment to both of these guys, but if all they care about is $$$ then they probably don’t care what any of us think of them anyway.
why do you think it’s about $?
I’m not going to claim to have any kind of special insight into how wealthy people’s minds work… but the generic answer when asked, “how much is enough?” Would be, “more.”
Bradford has contemplated retirement, made what like 60 million on his rookie deal, just made another 11 million, and Condon gets a cut of each contract.
This move seems so crazy to me, that’s it’s the only reason I can come up with to make sense of it… because I don’t think they’re going to come out and say that God has told Sam to play for another team.
sam’s not going to get paid more over the next two years unless he performs. think he wants to be in a place where he has a shot of being the guy. think it’s that simple.
Sam already threatened to quit football back with the Rams, to get to a better place to do what… play football (that he loves so much he’s willing to quit?)… no, to make more money. There’s nothing Sam can do on this earth investment wise that has a greater return than him suiting up and tossing the pigskin.
This may even end up a short term loss, with a long term gain in mind. For Bradford and Condon.
It is very clearly not about money.
Everything is what it seems.
“LAEagle makes the case very well that, with all the draft assets expended on acquiring Wentz, Bradford had no meaningful avenue to becoming the Eagles’ franchise QB.”
I do not get this point.
I suppose McNabb wasnt a franchise QB because he didnt have anybody around him? My point is, either Sam is a franchise QB or he isnt and it has nothing to do with who ever we could draft this year.
I also argue Sam has more help than guys like McNabb (untill 04), Brady or Newton.
Maybe Condon has already talked with other teams and knows that another team is interested in Bradford. In that case, the purpose behind going public is to pressure the Eagles to accept a trade with this other team that Condon already knows is interested. Other than that, I don’t know why they would go public like this.
this entire free agency period has been focused on re-signing our own talent, as well as bringing in 2x starting-caliber OL, 2x veteran WRs, and a few defensive players who can start and improve the team.
to say sam was counting on some 3rd rd WR or a fresh OG via the draft is one of the larger strawman arguments i’ve seen on the topic
Draft week. Condon knows the best time to be traded is before teams spend high picks on a QB. That required quick action on his part to get the word out.
Wait, isn’t Fletcher skipping otas? Hasn’t he not signed a deal? No articles on that+
Fletcher has proven more in 1 year than Bradford has his entire career
One would be very hard pressed to write up a contract that would make anyone think Fletch was being over paid. Very safe to think he is grossly under paid.
Someone smells a first team opportunity coming up.
https://twitter.com/ChaseDaniel/status/724646833402712064
I would embrace someone like Chase who completely buys into the team philosophy. If Chase has to serve as the bridge to Wentz then I will root for him to do well while Wentz is properly groomed. I do not want to support a mediocre QB in SB who thinks he is elite, gets paid like he is elite and is upset that he would have to play under these horrific circumstances where he makes $18 million to be the starter and would have to prove he is actually elite in order to earn long term stability.
chase has a 3 year deal and is a career backup. chase starting means wentz will be playing by week 5.
Whether Wentz comes into to play in week 5, week 10. week 12 or starts in 2017 all I am saying is that I will support Chase since he will be 100% committed to the team .
chase starts and plays 9-7 ball, he’s going to bounce and start elsewhere if he can. chase is in a perfect position for a guy that’s never played a full game.
Chase has a 3 year deal, so he will be here unless we trade or cut him right? I would only hope he starts and plays well. If that scenario plays out then the Eagles will move him in a few years for other assets. HR said we are “investing in QB’s” right? I guess we will see if our investments pay off. Ultimately I just want the decision to draft Wentz to be the right one. Then we can enjoy a QB for the next decade.
everyon wants wentz i just dont see why people hate same for wanting to get out of a dead end job.
What career backüp ISNT committed to his team? What backüp can even afford to not be committed to his team?
Im not so sure about that… If Wentz isn’t ready, they would probably continue to let chase stink it up..
.
If we get Goff, he can play next year. But unless Wentz is some super prodigy who develops at an insane pace, he Probably won’t be ready to take the field this year
Easy to say that now. Might not be as willing to embrace him after he plays two Games for us
“Sharp as ever”… lol
Let me translate. “Someone pinch me. I still can’t be someone was dumb, I mean smart, enough to pay me all this money. I’d be happy to just sweep floors”…
I’ve read hundreds (if not thousands) of posts from Tommy over the years, and I’ve never agreed with one more than this one.
I wonder… can the Eagles and Bradford agree to tear up his contract, give back the money and become a free agent? Call his bluff and tell him to STFU if he is unwilling.
The money already paid on his contract makes him a more attractive in a trade.
I understand that. I’m just pointing out that if he really wants to be a free agent there might be a way. And I’m not sure the (probably 4th or 5th round) pick the Eagles might get is worth $5.5M.
Right. Which is why he’s in the same boat as Kaepernick: wants to play for Denver but have his existing team pay the freight.
I wouldn’t care for that because we don’t get anything back for him.
We get a ton of cap space.
If Sam and his agent decided they wanted to get him traded no matter what, I don’t think they could have come up with a better strategy than this in a hundred years. Looking soft and weak to the Eagles’ fanbase is like begging for mercy from the Mongol Horde: you’ll get no mercy, only contempt.
Maybe this really is a plan. It’s hard to see the fans accepting him now even as a stop gap QB. This is passive aggressive to an amazing degree, but I should actually accomplish.plush getting Sammy out of here. Buffalo has been the Siberia of Philadelphia in the past, where players who have displeased the Eagles have been banished to obscurity. Let’s give Sexy Rexy a call.
Dig this poop: It will cost Buffalo in the neighborhood of 18 million to resign Taylor. Currently Buffalo is paying him about 3 million or 1.99% of the their cap space. The Bills have zero cap space, The more we look at money and QBs the less sense it makes. I don’t know what Sam is worth but it is more than Tyrod. Howie just needs to be patient.
So what do you guys think they could get in a trade for SB?
I was thinking a minimum 3rd, but honestly I don’t think a 2nd is too crazy. It would be a good contract for at least 2 years for the other team, right?
I think Bradford and 5th gets a 2nd.
Or Bradford straight gets a bubble player (RB/MLB) and a 3rd.
I think the thing that annoys me the most about sports fandom is how often fans side with billionaire owners/franchises over players risking long term health repercussions for a fraction of the gain, and over very short career shelf lives. Sam wants to play this year for a team/coach/system where he can go out and earn the status of franchise QB. If he had/has no chance of doing that here, he wouldn’t have signed here/doesn’t want to be here. I think when Howie calls his bluff, and Sam realizes he has no leverage, he’ll probably bite the bullet, come to camp, and play his butt off. I expect him to have a very successful season, and to make things interesting for Howie in terms of decision making next offseason.
That argument works better when it’s not a player who’s made 100 million dollars for doing nothing.
I’m just saying, they’re not the bosses. Remove the numbers from the scenario, and pretend it’s your life, and your decision making RE: employment, family, etc. People are just people in the end. Independent of what Sam has made, he wants to feel valued, and feel like he has the opportunity to grow and become his best possible self.
Sam signed a lucrative placeholder deal.
Now is mad that he’s being used as a placeholder.
I’m pro labor and overwhelmingly side with players, but Sam doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
Why, did he tear his ACL again!?
I agree on the general dynamic, don’t see how it applies in this case.
Bradford has the opportunity to go out and play well enough to earn a big contract with another club. He must have known he was signing a one year “show me” deal -we all did.
This is a case where club management worked a fair deal with a player and looks to be bringing in competition for the future.
Now if they said “Sam, this is just a two year deal we’re not going to do anything to push you or secure the depth and future of the position” you’d have a point.
For sure, I just think he thought it was a one-year show me deal in THIS system for THIS team. As in, he was banking on his ability to be successful in Pederson’s system translating into another contract and some sort of career stability.
I also think that if he does light it up and make a deep playoff run, he’s here for year two.
Everybody in Philadelphia (with the exception of the usual loudmouths) would be perfectly fine with the #2 pick riding the pine if the team wins lots of games and Bradford’s tossing 40 TDs.
I don’t mind Sam thinking that and generally side with players over management in terms of salary, but Bradford is essentially property and I don’t want that property being put by the curb on garbage day if I can sell it for a good return.
Yeah, I’m just saying, be of two minds about it. People who are being aggressively critical of Sam are just viewing it from the fandom asset management perspective. Which I get. I’m there too. It’s just, people aren’t assets.
He signed a contract 2 months ago, which was a 1 year deal with a 2nd year team option effectively. That deal was what he wanted because it gave him the opportunity to retest the market in 2 years and find a better option if he wanted it.
The situation has not changed for him, and realistically if he is just stealing a $11mil signing bonus off the Eagles so he can go to another team that was unwilling to meet his pay demands but would at $7mil for the year. It is idiotic and pathetic and frankly delusional.
I don’t even have a problem with him asking for a trade… it might make sense for the Eagles and it shows that he would not be angry about it. What is utterly pathetic is to once the request has been denied that he sends his agent out to throw shit about (again not even having the courage to stick his face in front of a mic and saying it) to try and force the Eagles to take a 2c on the $ and trade him for a late rounder to a contender.
My guess
1. Bradford knew Denver was interested. By making noise he forced the Eagles to consider a trade.
2. Denver calls. Eagles ask for a 2nd. Denver doesn’t want to give up more than a low 3rd or 4th.
So now we need the Jets interested as well so they can bid against each other.
Everyone is guessing…everyone is miles away from the situation…
then why wouldn’t he have just signed with Denver?
I think the big change here is that the Eagles by paying the up front bonus made him (slightly) more attractive at a low $7M salary for this year.
Doubt it… While it makes it more attractive for our trade partner, what we paid for him already Probably make us want more in return for trading him..so while the price is more attractive to a team, how much we want in return won’t be attractive to a team and it balances out
..
We Probably could have bought a pick for 11mil if we really wanted
yes we would want more I agree. I just don’t see how if say Denver wasn’t willing to pay him [$$], then now they will be willing to pay him $7M and give us something of value.
I guess it comes down to the draft. Hopefully the QB’s go fast and early to the non-Broncos, Jets etc. But can the Broncos really compete for a SB with Sanchez or say Lynch as their QB? I think not.
Bottom line on Bradford is that they should play hardball with him over fines and forfeited bonus money is he wants to miss the mandatory stuff. No need to get worked up in the press over this, but take a very hard line. They need to hold him on the roster with plans on starting him until such time as a team provides a sufficient trade offer. That could be for this year’s draft as soon as a few of them miss on adding Lynch or anytime up until the trade deadline if they sustain a major injury to their starter. Or going into next year’s draft.
All in all I always wanted the team to be trading Bradford prior to the end of this deal once me moved to 2, so all of his verbal static doesn’t change this.
I’m just glad this is going down with Howie here who has a keen handle on valuation and won’t spite cut a guy for whom we should have netted a return and/or not even entertained cutting to begin with.
Yeah, honestly I think we’re overreacting to it all. He’s devaluing himself the longer this goes on. So far it’s not a big deal. Voluntary OTA s. When actual training camp starts, he can either hold out or not. If he holds out it could cost him a ton of money. If not he’s either going to be belligerent or not. If he’s belligerent he creates the biggest problem, but no one else will want him if he does this. Not at the QB position.
I expect he’ll soon realize this, eat a little shit, and return to work. And this will be mostly forgotten.
I think he will be back before mandatory camp. Once he isn’t traded on draft night, Probably no point in hurting yourself by missing training sessions you will need since he is playing for his future this year…. Once the draft passes, Id think he will come back and join the team
I’d hardly call Johnson a model citizen, either. He’s said and done a few things that smart players wouldn’t – dinner tab, suspension, speaking too much about his old coach.
Lane had the balls to go on record and not talk shit under the guise of “anonymous player”, I respect that far more.
Sure, I respect a punch in the face over a kick in the nuts. But a pro doesn’t rant on as much as he did, especially when there are certainly still teammates loyal to Kelly, Azzinaro, etc. He’s not the brightest bulb, but at least he hasn’t outright quit on his teammates like Murray and Bradford.
If Bradford were to be traded, I’d want a 2nd round pick this year and a conditional 2nd + 3rd next year if he meets certain criterias.
Doubt that.
A 3rd this year plus a (cond) 3rd or 2nd next may be more realistic in my honest and humble opinion.
I have to agree with Mr Joe Banner here,
Trading away Bradford might be risky as it will mean that Wentz is only one injury away from starting this year. Which could be detrimental to his career in Philly.
All in all Sammy pussy could ruin the second franchise in his young and rich but mediocre career. Now shut the F up and play!
I don’t believe in all that. All we’ve heard about the 2 QB’s in the draft is how smart, how mature etc etc they handle everything. IF by a miracle they end up starting, they aren’t going to wilt. I’d trust the coaches and the learning curve and expect the qb to handle themselves properly. By a large margin, not detrimental. It’s not always doom and gloom.
Players want to win. Odds are strong that Chase is a worse QB than Sanchez. If Chase starts the year and we go 1-5, players will want a change and that means rookie get thrown out there.
I agree a rookie can start and can handle themselves. Odds are that we have a losing record though and there rookie will be inneffective his first year.
team is rebuilding anyway….only difference will be…Cleveland would get a top 5 from the Eagles instead of a 10-15 range. Odds are, Bradford wasn’t playing all 16 games anyway — and very true that Chase stinks…
Cleveland is rebuilding their franchise (as they have been since 1999), the Eagles are not. The Eagles have talent and very few holes on the roster. Depth is an issue, as it is with any team. The only thing being rebuilt with the Eagles is the QB position.
I guess I’m more upset that the $11M Sam took off the cap could have gone to resign Bennie and/or Fletch. Or that money could have been used to sign another OL in free agency. I can live with a bad season if Chase starts the season as the QB and eventually turns it over to a rookie. At least I’ll have some hope for the future, which I haven’t really had since Foles ended his 27-2 year.
As if Cox and Bennie wont get their extension sooner or later
if you draft your future franchise QB and are grooming him — by definition, you are rebuilding. Eagles clearly want to be competitive(puts fannies in the seats) but that doesn’t change the fact they are rebuilding…
I wouldn’t say the Packers were rebuilding when they drafted Rodgers. Rebuilding is not he same as having a succession plan in place.
you mean – the team with Farve as QB vs. Bradford? Apples n oranges…
For that to be true, the team with Sam as QB would be considered a rebuild in process too. If that’s the case, we’ve then been rebuilding since trading Donny.
I would rather tell Wentz you are not starting this year unless both QB’s get injured. Go learn the playbook pat and we will work on your technique and fundamentals, so that when he starts in 2017 the only thing he is worrying about is the speed of the game and that adjustment, not trying to remember a play book, how he was coached to do a certain thing mechanically. Think it puts a QB is a much better place to succeed in the short term and if you have early success as a young QB i think that builds confidence and belief for the long term.
without question – that’s the preferred path. Wentz nfl career won’t be thrown in the trash if by chance he’s needed to start this year…
Would prefer to hear direct quotes from SB on this subject matter before I whole heartedly believing an agent… There got to be smoke on the trade front… His agent is simply shaking the tree for someone to step up to the plate. Hopefully day 2 we hear about a trade. That would allow us to draft an additional rookie qb and put together a very healthy, competitive qb group. With a couple ex career backup qbs and supposedly a qb guru at the helm.
I don’t think His agent is trying to shake the tree to find a team to trade for him. Think this is more designed to get the Eagles to accept whatever the best offer is for Sam on draft night, where as the Eagles Probably don’t care about the best offer and will hold him unless they get the RIGHT offer…. All the agent is trying to do is force the Eagles to trade him even if the offer is less than the Eagles would like. Doubt it works
bridges burnt…. simply posturing w/ our media is a doomsday scenario for SB’s career.
Think this will blow over 7-10 days from now… If SAM ISNT traded during the draft, there is no point to continue with this extreme stance..if he is still an eagle on Sunday, he will have nothing to gain by continuing to take this stance
You’d wait until at least midseason, if Chase got hurt in TC, you’d go find some random vet off the street to get clocked until then.
Then you’d throw on all the training wheels. Max protects, bootlegs, steady dose of the run game, massively simplified playbook. The season would become about his development first, and wins second. They wouldn’t throw him in and say ok rook go throw 50 passes and try to win a shootout.
Rationally, that makes sense. After watching too many years of Air MorningReid, I can’t believe it until I see Pederson do it. Especially with the RBs they currently have – can’t really run them 30+ times a game collectively.
Personally, I don’t want to see Wentz on the field at all this year. If that happens, I view it as a massive screw-up, because he needs a lot of work.
https://twitter.com/Astonia67/status/724848352433725441
By the end of the draft we may see Logan, Hicks, JP, SB and Brooks/Kelce form a picket line in front of the stadium….
What do we want?!
Lifetime job security and top of the market contracts, without competition or repercussions!
When do we want it?
Immediately and indefinitely!
Why do we want it?
Because our feelings might get hurt!
Are we a bunch of clowns?
Most assuredly!
Who’s this Tyler Aston guy?! He’s not a gooner by any chance?!? 😉
Just some asshole on the internet.
Umm, by his picture, he clearly is a Cylon. And they make me nervous.
That’s fraking rude.
one angle, possibly skewed :), Post CK era — HR has alienated his starting QB, overpaid for a less than mediocre back up QB, gave up 5 picks for a less than stellar draft prospect….this was the plan? Almost like CK is still here 🙂
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, kudos.
If Bradford wanted a long term deal with a contending team, he should have waited for free agency to play out, and then ask for a $30mil 3 year deal from the broncos that was guaranteed for 2 years. He would have got a good 2 year window on a good team to develop and show his talents.
He did not want to accept that type of deal, wanted something that paid far more $$$ and gave him control in 2 years time to either find another better fit or leverage even more $$$. Unfortunately he utterly misunderstood his value and worth to NFL teams and what he has done so far in the NFL. So now he is having a throwing his toys out of the pram trying to force himself into a situation where the Broncos pay him 2 year $24mil and he gets that opportunity while taking $11mil off the Eagles for turning up to a week of weight sessions.
So i am so conflicted at the moment… part of him wants him off our roster because he is a delusional, entitled, weak loser who lacks the character to be a franchise QB and is going to be just be a cancer for the team. Part of me say stuff make him play out the year, let him get benched for Daniel in week 4 and then Wentz in late November and let his career flame out like it deserves to.
my guess is that this is just a momentary power play, and they are only doing this because of the timing, Draft week…. I think they are going to hold out, kick and scream all week, hoping to get him traded during the draft, and once the draft passes and he is still an eagle, I think they will put an end to This and come back and join the team.
..
The last thing a QB in Sams position can afford to do is miss multiple weeks of training with a new coaching staff when he has a new offense to Learn when he has to play for his future this year.. The Eagles will probably hold their ground because he is more valuable to us (at least temporarily) than what another team will be willing to trade for him. Once the draft passes and he isn’t traded, he loses a lot of his leverage and will probably need to start worrying about learning the offense so he can have a chance to play well enough to earn a job with someone else..
..
If the Draft wasn’t so close, im not sure they would be trying to take this extreme stance. If a team DOESNT blow our socks off with an offer on draft night and he remains an eagle, I would think Bradford and his camp put an end to this holdout… Probably just trying to force our hand into trading him on draft night. Once the draft passes he doesn’t have much to gain but he has plenty to lose if he continues to take this stance…
..
A week from today hopefully this will be over
I assumed yesterday this was all the Agent / another team trying to shake down the Eagles, but from reports this is all 100% Bradford and what he wants…. and honestly that’s pathetic.
Yeah I don’t think you can find an eagle fan who will side on SAM with this one..
..
But if it wasn’t draft week, im not sure they would be taking this extreme stance, think it’s just temporary kicking and screaming designed to try and get the Eagles to trade him for whatever the best offer is on draft night, where as the Eagles Probably don’t want to dump him for the best offer, and plan on keeping him unless a team makes the RIGHT offer…
..
If this is still this much of an issue a week from now, I’ll be surprised…. And once Bradford sees how Raw Wentz is in practice, he will probably feel a little better about all this…. I don’t mind rattling Sams cage. I want to see a pissed off SAM having to compete for his job for once(LongTerm at least)
Dallas’s first for him. Done. Solves the Cowboys’ QB2 problem. win win.
there is no way any team will give a 1st for Sam. Serious doubts any team gives a second…not sure the Eagles will just ignore the 11 mil either..
yeah I was joking.
lol, sorry, didn’t see that…
I suspect you’re correct, but this is all assuming SB and agent are rational, reasonable people. Up until the trade they seemed to be. But their statements and actions now are so childish they border on incomprehensible.
None of this makes any sense. If Sam had any leadership role on the team, it’s gone now. So Condon’s “being the man” somewhere statement is hilarious. It’s so tellingly about Bradford’s standing around the league that he signed before FA. Condon knows what he’s doing (supposedly). If there was any real interest in Sam, he would not have signed before that time. So why would there be any trade interest now? Sam is the furthest thing from being a desirable commodity, in fact he’s the laughing stock of the league.
I don’t know how rational and reasonable they are, but I do know they are brilliant at making a lot of money, and if he isn’t traded during the draft, the best way they can go about making money is prepare to have the best season he possibly can, and the best way to go about that is joining the team for practice.
..
this makes sense to me.
I think this also looks bad from an NFLPA point of view; if Bradford can force a trade a few weeks after getting $11m guaranteed in a new contract, without playing a single snap under the new contract, I’d think some of the more money-conscious owners will bring that up at the next collective bargaining meeting – especially when the players try to get their contracts fully guaranteed.
seems a silly/stupid stance to take. i’d trade the rest of our draft picks for sterling shepherd. he & wentz would be the greatest draft class ever
If we end up trading SAM, I hope we ship him to the Patriots lol
All this Sam talk is taking away from my enjoyment of Deflategate. I’ve tried to stay away from Peter King, but:
“Four respected American jurists have now ruled on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s discipline of Brady and the Patriots. It’s tied.”
No Peter that’s like saying my vote counts the same as my boss’ vote. It’s not f’ing tied at all.
“My stance here has been clear: There is significant and damaging circumstantial evidence in the case against Brady and the two Patriots operatives who, the Wells Report alleges, tampered with footballs to take air out of them before the AFC Championship Game in January 2015. But I’ve never been convinced that it is clear and overwhelming, and there are holes big enough in the Wells Report to throw a Brady spiral through.”
This is not clear at all, this is trying to have it both ways. You think there is really bad evidence against Brady – then why do you care if he gets suspended? Oh, you think it’s not “clear and overwhelming” well thank you for making up your own burden of proof that must be met. It’s like well if you took Deflategate out of the CBA and Peter King just gave you his random thoughts about how he would decide the case in the Peter King People’s Court.
My reading on deflate gate is that the Pats totally deflated the balls, league somewhat botched the investigation in how they went the investigation. Brady sued under the premise the investigation was flawed, judge agreed. NFL cam back with an appeal that they had the right to conduct as broken and flawed an investigation as they wanted and the court confirmed that is what was agreed in the CBA.
The only thing that is going to overturn that is the supreme court judging that everyone has the constitutional right to fair process regardless of what they agree beforehand. Cannot see that happening with tied court down to 8 members.
actually another path is Brady can ask for an en banc (sp?) hearing where you get the full appeals court to review.
I think it’s more than fair process, as ACV has said there are shop rules etc. But I do think lots of people like Peter King and everyone in NE think there are much broader rights here than what there really is. I heard on talk radio last night this decision is “unconstitutional” which I loved. It’s amazing how the commoners feel totally aligned with the almost billionaire.
and I think most/all of NE don’t agree that the Pats did anything wrong at all.
Saints taking a QB high is good news for the Bradford trade market. Jump in front of the Browns and leave them with the choice to take Cook at no.8 or being forced to take Hackenberg with their 2nd pick.
Wonder if Brees will demand a trade post draft as well.
Heard that they are just bluffing trying to pressure Brees into reworking his contracts while creating a smoke screen for their true target, DE which they are desperate for…. But who knows WHATS really true….
..
hard time seeing Sean Peyton fall for Lynch
Sam… basically you have a lot of second stringers that are equal to what Bradford has produced. So, what is the second banana market like?
Maybe, we eat the cap hit and get a 3rd.