Was it Sam Bradford's fault that he got the last massive rookie contract? No.
Was it Sam Bradford's fault that he was picked by a lousy team that never got much better over the years? No.
Was it Sam Bradford's fault that he went through several OC's and systems and that there was little continuity? No.
Was it Sam Bradford's fault that he suffered knee injuries? No.
Do I give a damn whether he has success or not on the field? No, not unless he's playing against the 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, or Patriots.
Do I feel sorry for him? Hell no!
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/25/sam-bradford-has-only-himself-to-blame/
Sam Bradford has only himself to blame
Posted by Mike Florio on April 25, 2016
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Eagles quarterback
Sam Bradford now wants out of Philly. He possibly could have had that on March 9.
Bradford was due to become a free agent when he signed a new, two-year contract with the Eagles. He could have refused to do it, forcing the Eagles to choose between paying him nearly $20 million in 2016 or letting him walk.
He opted to take a two-year deal and a greater chunk of guaranteed money. But Bradford also didn’t sign the kind of contract that screamed to the world the fact that he’s the long-term answer. The Eagles either didn’t insist, or Bradford didn’t want, anything more than that. And all that that implies.
Bradford still got paid a lot of money — a whopping $35 million over two years, with $22 million fully guaranteed at signing. He earned $11 million to sign, with $5.5 million of it already paid out.
If the Eagles want to pay him that much money to be the starter for only as long as he can hold off
Carson Wentz or
Chase Daniel or anyone else, the Eagles have the right to do just that. In turn, Bradford has the right to boycott the entire offseason program, skipping all voluntary drills and, if he’s willing to pay the small (relative to training-camp holdouts) fine, the annual mandatory minicamp.
By taking such an aggressive stand, however, Bradford runs the risk of being criticized for accepting the big-money premium that flows to quarterbacks in exchange for the not-so-subtle presumption that the starter will be an all-in extension of the coaching staff, putting in extra effort and setting the example for the rest of the roster.
Maybe Bradford believes the team wasn’t candid with him about its plans for the quarterback position when signing him. Regardless, Philly’s willingness to ask for only a two-year commitment should have made clear that the Eagles would continue to look for the one thing they haven’t had since Donovan McNabb started to lose his fastball: A true franchise quarterback.
Besides, Eagles executive V.P. of football operations Howie Roseman continues to insist, even in the wake of Bradford reportedly telling the team he wants out, that Bradford is the starter. What more can Bradford expect, especially after six years of NFL experience that still has the jury out on the question of whether he’s a bust? Only true franchise quarterbacks have job security, and that job security evaporates as soon as the franchise quarterback is no longer playing like one.
So Bradford’s best play would be to cash his checks and take advantage of his opportunity to keep Wentz and Daniel on the bench. If Bradford nevertheless wants to be traded, the best way to do it is to pretend (for now) that he wants to stay, allowing the Eagles to muster enough leverage to make the deal worthwhile.
As it stands, the Eagles may have to eat the entire $11 million signing bonus to make a trade happen. If they have to pay the whole bonus and essentially give Bradford away, the Eagles may decide to take a T.O.-style stand, forcing Bradford to resort to shirtless driveway situps and “next question” press conferences on the front lawn.
