Chip Kelly might see something in Sam Bradford that few others do. He certainly sees a heck of a lot more than most media critics and fans.
Kelly on Tuesday traded Nick Foles plus a second-round pick in 2016 and fourth-round pick in 2015 to the Rams for Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick. He also gets the pleasure of paying Bradford’s $13 million salary this season instead of the $1.5 million Foles is due.
So why did Kelly make the trade? He apparently “loves” Bradford to the point that he “came hard” after the quarterback. Here’s what The Monday Morning Quarterback’s Peter King reported Wednesday:
What I was told reliably Tuesday night: Philadelphia coach/power-czar Chip Kelly loves Bradford, feels Bradford’s the right guy to run his fast-paced offense, and this from an insider on the trade of the day: “Chip came hard after Bradford. That’s why this happened.”
There is still speculation that Kelly may have acquired Bradford to flip to another team in order to move up for Marcus Mariota in the draft, but that remains uncertain. Previous reports have said the Eagles would trade up with the Jets in order to get the Heisman Trophy winner.
King also says it’s believed Kelly thinks Bradford, who ran a fast-paced offense at Oklahoma, would be a perfect fit for his offense.
The Eagles’ website also says the team is smitten with Bradford:
When the Eagles studied him — and they did so very, very extensively before the trade — they saw a quarterback with special accuracy, with touch, with a big arm. A quarterback who can get the ball out quickly, who can make fast, good decisions. Bradford is, the Eagles think, a classic pocket quarterback with just enough mobility to work the pocket well and keep plays alive.
The website says Kelly identified Bradford as a “special talent” who “can make the offense soar.”
After hearing all this information, you have one of two choices. You either believe that the Eagles are legitimately smitten with Bradford, or they’re trying to throw up a smoke screen so they don’t get completely boned when attempting a trade up for Mariota. If they really want the former Oregon QB, they don’t want everyone to know it otherwise the trade price goes up. The media has already screwed them on this front, so maybe this is Kelly’s way of fighting back.
