Once the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to the second spot in the 2016 NFL Draft, starting quarterback Sam Bradford showed his hand big time.
The recently-extended signal caller held out of the team’s off-season activities last week and reportedly requested a trade from Philadelphia.
Now that the Eagles did in fact select North Dakota State product Carson Wentz with the second pick on Thursday, Bradford’s stance hasn’t changed.
And after the Eagles decided against trading the unhappy veteran during the draft, this situation promises to be one to monitor as we enter the summer months.
New Eagles head coach Doug Pederson didn’t do much to quiet rumors of discontent in Philadelphia following the three-day draft:
“Anybody that’s not in any of the 32 offseason programs is losing valuable time at that club,” Pederson said, via Philly Mag. “So anybody that’s not in the offseason program, yes, would lose the time.”
This quote also pertains to defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, who was a hold out from last week’s off-season activities as well.
While the Eagles plan has been to sit Carson Wentz as a rookie all along, the addition of Chase Daniel as a free agent in March puts into question Bradford’s status as a starter should he remain a hold out during mandatory minicamp and training camp this summer.
When asked about whether Bradford missing time will impact his ability to start, the Eagles head coach had this to say:
“I think it depends on how and when he does come back and how fast we can catch him up and put him back in that situation and see where he’s at at that time.”
In no way is that a firm commitment to Bradford. Though, Pederson is in no position to commit to a player that has refused to show up to team activities.
It will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out. Should Bradford remain steadfast in his decision to hold out, the Eagles will then be put in a precarious situation heading into training camp.