The trade that sent quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams to the Eagles was surprising when news of it first emerged. It’s now become downright confusing.
The Eagles have announced the deal, which consists of Bradford for Nick Foles plus three draft picks. The Eagles get from St. Louis a 2015 fifth-round pick, and the Rams get from Philadelphia a 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2016 second-round pick.
While the announcement doesn’t mention any other terms, Albert Breer of NFL Media reports that, if Bradford doesn’t start eight games, the Eagles get a fourth-round pick back from the Rams. Likewise, if Bradford is injured, the Eagles get a third-round pick from the Rams. (The trigger for the “injury” condition isn’t known. Possibly, the third-round pick becomes and issue only if Bradford suffers a season ending injury before Week One.)
Many wondered whether the acquisition of Bradford would be a stepping stone toward a move to get in position to draft quarterback Marcus Mariota. The decision to give up a second-round pick in 2016 along with a fourth-round pick in 2015 for Bradford and a fifth-round draft pick arguably cuts against that theory.
Unless, of course, a team like the Bucs at No. 1 or the Titans at No. 2 made it clear to the Eagles that a package including Bradford would be critical to getting a deal done -- or, possibly, that the 49ers wanted Bradford in exchange for Colin Kaepernick.
Whatever the outcome, the idea that a guy with a twice-torn ACL will waltz in and become the starting quarterback for the Eagles currently doesn’t make much sense.