Quarterback Sam Bradford is due to make almost $13 million this season with the Philadelphia Eagles and after negotiating with the Philadelphia Eagles on an extension, the former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner has decided to call it off and bet on himself.
Bradford will play out the final year of his then-record rookie contract he signed with the St. Louis Rams back in 2010 after he was the No. 1 pick in the draft. The 27-year old quarterback has not played in a regular season game since October, 2013 and was traded by the Rams to the Eagles for quarterback Nick Foles and a second round draft choice this last offseason.
For Sam Bradford, not signing an extension now may allow him to maximize his value. He takes that over more security long-term
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2015
This is a risky move for the Eagles, but not so much for Bradford. I’ve always been an unapologetic fan of Bradford since the Rams drafted him, seeing the same thing all the scouts see; “The Potential.” But, frankly, that should be Bradford’s nickname at this point. By letting Bradford coast this year the Eagles are making a bat that, 1 – He’ll be successful in Chip Kelly’s system and want to stay in Philadelphia or 2 – He’ll get hurt again and they won’t want him back.
At this point it’s a coin flip. But there are two other scenarios that work out on Bradford’s favor and decidedly against the Eagles. The first is that Bradford stays healthy and plays up to “The Potential” he flashed so many times in St. Louis, tossing 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns and leads the team deep into the playoffs.
The second scenario is that he’s a decent quarterback that can run the system, but a middle of the road guy like Alex Smith or Carson Palmer. The Eagles would still make the playoffs, but take an early bow. If either scenario happens, the Eagles are in trouble. If the second one happens, they’re royally screwed.
Why? Well, it’s simple. The only way the Eagles can guarantee they keep Bradford if one of those two things happen is to franchise him. The franchise tag for quarterbacks this season was $18.51 million. It’s going to be more in 2016 and that number, that $18-19 million number will serve as the baseline for the next Bradford deal. With Cam Newton just signing a $20 million a year contract, you better believe that’s what they’ll be after.
That first guy up there, the one 4,000-yard, 36 touchdown guy, gets the $20 million per year deal that becomes a franchise killer if an injury happens again. Plus, it keeps you from having the available cash to upgrade your team in free agency or even keep your own free agents. Bradford is the highest-paid player on the Eagles roster right now, beating Jason Peters’ contract by almost $4 million.
The second guy, you’ve got to let him walk, in which case you’re back to square one with your quarterback situation and picking too low in the draft to really do anything about it. Just like this last season.
Mariota finally signs with Titans
With training camp on the horizon, the Tennessee Titans and No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota have finally reached a contract agreement Tuesday night.
“We are glad to have the deal with Marcus done, and I’d like to thank both Marcus and his representatives for their diligence in working with us to finalize this contract,” Titans GM Ruston Webster said. “We were confident that Marcus would be under contract before training camp, and we look forward to him starting his career on time with his teammates when we open camp next week. This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Titans organization, and we look forward to a bright future.”
Marcus Mariota's deal with the #Titans only contains partial offset language, per source. Good compromise between Mariota's reps & the team.
— Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) July 21, 2015
The issue between the Titans and Mariota were contract offsets, basically money-saving options for the Titans if they had to cut Mariota down the road. Mariota wanted more financial security and evidently the two sides were able to hash those out. Details of the deal have yet to be released, but it’ll be comparable money-wise to last year’s No. 2 Greg Robinson of the St. Louis Rams because of the rookie salary structure in the NFL and NFLPA collective bargaining agreement.
Mariota was the only first round pick who hadn’t signed before Tuesday.
Peterson restructures deal with Vikings
It looked like it was heading for a divorce with between running back Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, but after kissing and making up, AP and the Vikings have exchanged presents. In this case, Peterson gets $20 million in guaranteed money over the next three seasons and the Vikings get a little more wiggle room if he flames out or they want to trade him. Peterson’s old contract kept both things from happening.
Adrian Peterson's restructured deal will pay him between $24m-$28m the next two years, depending on escalators/de-escalators, source says.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 21, 2015
“I appreciate the Vikings for working together on this restructured contract, which provides additional security for me but also allows opportunities for me to further prove my value to the team and within the NFL,” Peterson said. “It was important for me to continue my career in Minnesota, and I cannot wait to get on the field in front of Vikings fans again.”
The full value of the contract is $44 million over three years, with most of the extra money coming from escalators based on team and individual performance. Peterson will also be due a $6 million roster bonus in March of 2017 if he’s still on the team.
