Eagles

Yeah I’m Sure the Eagles Are Totally Going to Lock up Sam Bradford Just Days Before a Potentially Franchise-Altering Draft

By Kyle Scott

Published: Apr 28th, 2015 · 8:55 AM EDT

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At this point it’s nearly impossible to mention every Eagles rumor, and probably even more difficult to determine which – if any – have merit. The assigned media is so deep in the weeds that they’re grasping at anything resembling an edible morsel of information, which may or may not be poisonous. Sports talk radio? Running out of topics:

So when late yesterday it was reported by strategic mouthpiece Chris Mortensen that the Eagles were working on an extension with mediocre quarterback Sam Bradford, and that Bradford will not sign an extension with any team except the Eagles, just days before a draft which could potentially serve as the conduit to one of the most likely coach-quarterback pairings in history, the report was, rightfully, met with some skepticism.

Jimmy Kempski:

Eliot Shorr-Parks:

As with any report his time of year, just three days before the draft, you have to ask, why is it being leaked?

Bradford’s camp could be getting it out there that they don’t want to sign an extension with any other team, making it harder for the Eagles to trade him. Or, it could be the Eagles’ front office letting it be known they are trying to sign Bradford in an effort to drive up his price, and convince other teams they aren’t just going to give him away

Zach Berman, picking up on the Bradford-camp thread:

The most interesting part of the report was that Bradford seeks a no-trade clause this season and that he would only sign an extension with the Eagles. This would seem to send the message to other teams that dealing for Bradford would not come with any long-term contract security, thus limiting his value. The “no-trade clause” indicates that Bradford still thinks there’s a chance the Eagles could deal with him. It adds even more intrigue to the next 72 hours.

If this isn’t a strategic leak, I don’t know what is. Presumably any trade that would have the Eagles moving up in the draft to get Mariota would include Bradford, a hypothetical deal that could potentially hinge on Bradford agreeing to an extension with the acquiring team. But, if Bradford, coming off two ACL surgeries, has big enough balls to balk at such a thing, then it’s in the Eagles’ best interest to threaten to walk away (negotiating 101). How does one do that? By leaking that they’re close to locking up Bradford (which is one of the saddest sentences I’ve ever written on this site). Or this comes from Bradford’s people (I can’t believe he has them). But I think it’s the Eagles– the first line of Mort’s Tweet sounds like it was written by Chip Kelly:

Maybe not a pawn, but no more than a rook… who can’t move laterally. [Thanks, I’m here all week.]