The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings agreed to a stunning Sam Bradford trade Saturday morning that sent the quarterback to Minnesota.
In exchange for their starting quarterback, the Eagles will receive a 2017 first-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2018 that could potentially turn into a second or third, depending on how the Vikings do with Bradford.
Needless to say, this trade sent ripples throughout the NFL.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the deal.
Pat Shurmur connection
Pat Shurmur, the Vikings tight end coach, was the offensive coordinator the first year Bradford was in St. Louis. He was also the offensive coordinator and subsequent head coach after Chip Kelly was ousted last year in Philadelphia.
That familiarity almost certainly had something to do with why the Vikings were so willing to part with such valuable draft currency. After all, despite Bradford’s solid play when healthy, this is a quarterback who is better known for injury that championship-caliber play.
It’s also worth noting that Shurmur was brought on board not just to coach tight ends. He and offensive line coach Tony Sparano were both hired this offseason to integrate their offensive strategies into what offensive coordinator Norv Turner was already doing.
With that in mind, Bradford’s crash course in Minnesota’s offense might not be too difficult. It’s highly likely the Vikings will rely heavily on what he’s already done with Shurmur, at least in the early stages of this new marriage.
Eagles realized they spent too much money on quarterbacks
Chase Daniel, Bradford and rookie Carson Wentz were set to earn nearly $32 million in 2016. That’s a lot of dough for three guys when only one can only play at a time.
It’s too much money, if we’re being honest. Especially considering none of them are currently good enough to be considered franchise material.
For that much money, you’d expect to be trotting out one of the league’s superstars, not a chronically injured former first-rounder, a career backup and a greenhorn.
Vikings are in win-now mode
The Vikings must have felt comfortable giving up a No. 1 pick in 2017 in light of the past five years in which they’ve had nine number one picks.
General manager Rick Spielman has stocked the roster full of dynamic talent on both sides of the ball. If the Vikings had rolled with Shaun Hill, then there is a good chance the young receiving corps would have been hard pressed to develop much this year.
Rookie Laquon Treadwell and second-year starter Stefon Diggs need someone who can truly utilize their talents. Bradford, when healthy, is a nice distributor who can make all the throws.
Minnesota’s defense is arguably championship caliber at this point. But without a competent quarterback the offense was going to be stuck in the mud.
Yes, Spielman gave up a first-round pick next year and a fourth-rounder in 2018. That’s a steep price to pay. But championship windows are extremely tight. You must punch through when the opportunities present themselves.
Teddy Bridgewater injury potentially more than one-year recovery
Acquiring Bradford might be a sign that Bridgewater’s long-term recovery could potentially stretch into the 2017 season. If the team thinks there’s a chance that Bridgewater takes up to two years to recover (as some reports have indicated), then the Vikings needed to buy some insurance for next year as well.
While we could argue how long it will take for Bridgewater to get back onto the playing field, the severity of his injury is not up for debate.
It’s been speculated by notable injury expert Will Carroll that Vikings trainers could have saved Bridgewater’s life after his catastrophic knee injury (more on that here).
The Vikings have said that they expect Bridgewater to make a full recovery. But you have to believe there have been conversations inside the building about the concern that the quarterback might never be the same.
New stadium, high expectations
The new U.S. Bank Stadium opens for regular season play in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. At a cost of $1.1 billion dollars, the last thing this franchise needed in 2016 was an inept offensive attack.
Internally and externally, there have been high expectations for a team that was one shanked kick away from beating the Seattle Seahawks last January. This is a young team that many have pegged as one of the best young squads in football.
Losing Bridgewater for the year was a kick to the balls, a punch to the gut and an uppercut to the jaw all wrapped into one nasty gift basket.
The Vikings absolutely had to make a splash to make up for the gut-wrenching loss of their franchise passer.
The Eagles are eager to get the Carson Wentz era underway
Not long after Bradford was sent packing to Minnesota, reports came out that the Eagles are now planning on throwing Wentz directly into the fire in Week 1 if he’s healthy (more on that here).
The rookie took a shot to the ribs in a tumultuous Week 1 performance, sidelining him for the remainder of the exhibition season.
That the Eagles are going to roll the dice on a rookie who has just a couple quarters of NFL experience under his belt should frighten their fans. Wentz’s performance in Week 1 proved he’s extremely raw, and he’s hardly been able to practice since then.
We have postulated that Philadelphia has already thrown in the towel on the 2016 season altogether (read more here).
Good or bad, the Eagles have decided to let their fate rest on the shoulders of a rookie who has unquestionable physical talent but who has never before experienced football at the speed in which he’ll now see it on Sundays.
Clearly, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Eagles fans who were expecting a trip to the playoffs this year should brace the impact of reality, which will be smacking them in the face shortly.