NFL Trade News and Rumors 2016: Did Vikings Lose in Sam Bradford Trade? Roster Predictions and Injury Updates
The Philadelphia Eagles get a first round pick in the surprising deal.
The 2016 NFL season is almost underway, and teams are looking to shape up at least a 53-man roster to compete in the grueling year. Among those with huge concerns the past few months were the Minnesota Vikings.
Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a completely torn ACL during camp. The season-ending injury forced Minnesota to frantically check their options on the trade market. The list included Cleveland Browns' Josh McCown and San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick, along with free agent Michael Vick.
This week, however, the rumors were laid to rest. The Vikings got 28-year-old Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The winners
The move for Bradford shocked NFL analysts and fans, mostly because of the desperation that drove the Vikings to trade for him. In exchange for Bradford, Eagles' general manager Howie Roseman got a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick in return.
Philadelphia does not go shorthanded into the season after this, either. They already have a No. 2 overall pick in Carson Wentz, although he would be sidelined for a while with injuries. Enter Chase Daniel, who can step up and claim the spot while Wentz recovers.
The Eagles had nothing to lose and even triumphed in this deal, and with Philly hosting the 2017 draft, getting a first-round pick would satisfy its rowdy fans.
Giving up too much?
While Roseman is happy with the deal, the Vikings might want to evaluate just how much they gave up for their new guy. Critics of the move are saying Bradford is not worth a first-rounder, considering his track record and his health issues.
While Teddy Bridgewater had the highest QB rating in the preseason with 141.5, Bradford was down to the 17th spots with 105.6. In addition to this, the latter quarterback had been battling injuries for the most part of his career.
Even before he entered the NFL, Bradford had surgery on a shoulder A/C joint at the collegiate level. When he got into the league, the quarterback suffered setbacks almost every year, including tearing his ACL and reinjuring it over the span of two years.
The good news is this means Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is still confident his team can compete. The QB position was their missing link following the Bridgewater injury, and with only a tentative 36-year-old Shaun Hill to fill the spot, the team needed other options.
The deal also works on the financial standpoint. The team would only pay Bradford his $7 million base salary next season, although they would have to decide on March if they should keep him. The quarterback is getting a lot of incentives by then, in addition to an increased $13 million salary.
