RADIO
On Tuesday, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter was the first to report that the Rams have traded quarterback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Nick Foles. The deal will also include the Eagles sending their 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2016 second-round pick to St. Louis, with the Rams giving Philly a 2015 fifth-round pick.
Bradford, 27, was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and despite being taken so high, has never turned into the franchise signal-caller the Rams hoped he would become. He has only played seven games in the last two years, dealing with torn ACLs in both of them. Besides being oft-injured, Bradford has never thrown for higher than a 60.7% completion percentage and hasn't thrown for more than 21 touchdowns in a complete season in his five-year NFL career.
Foles, 26, was a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft who gained the starting job in Philadelphia in 2013. He threw for an impressive 2,891 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 13 games. After setting the bar high for the 2013, Foles didn't live up to expectations in 2014. He was injured mid-season and replaced by Mark Sanchez, who turned out to be an improvement over Foles, who finished the season with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a sub-60% completion percentage.
On paper the Rams appear to have won this trade. They are a solid all-around team that's acquired a quarterback who has produced at a high-level not too long ago and could bring them into the playoffs in the toughest division in the league.
The Eagles received a quarterback who, even when healthy, is an average quarterback at best. Philadelphia also has to deal with Bradford's $13M cap hit for 2015 while the Rams only have to deal with Foles' $1.52M cap hit. While the trade from Philly's perspective is puzzling, Chip Kelly has never been much of an idea person (i.e. the departure of DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin). Kelly is almost putting the Eagles in a worse position than the 49ers when Harbaugh left! Just kidding, the Eagles aren't a train-wreck... yet.
Regardless, on a day in which the signing of free agents was supposed to be the big-talker, this swapping of starting quarterbacks has by far been the biggest news of the day.
