Vikings Acquire Sam Bradford From Eagles
12:00pm: If the Vikings make it to the NFC Championship game, the 2018 conditional fourth-rounder headed to the Eagles will turn into a third-rounder, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. If the Vikings win the Super Bowl, the pick will become a second-rounder.
10:23am: The 2018 fourth-round pick that the Eagles are receiving can become a third-round pick or even a second-round choice, depending on how Bradford performs with the Vikings, Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Bradford’s deal includes a $1MM escalator if he plays 90% of his team’s offensive snaps in 2017, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter).
9:33am: The Vikings have acquired Sam Bradford from the Eagles, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Eagles will receive Minnesota’s 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round pick, per a club announcement confirming the deal.
The Vikings now have a capable and experienced quarterback to step in after Teddy Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury earlier this week. Many have criticized the Vikings for not having a quality backup behind Bridgewater, but they have found a respected signal caller to lead the way. However, it remains to be seen if Bradford can pick up the offense with less than a week to go before the season opener. Ultimately, the Vikings felt better about Bradford learning the playbook on short notice than having Shaun Hill under center, despite his familiarity with Norv Turner‘s system.
The Vikings have given up a significant haul to acquire Bradford, who ostensibly would only be their starter for one year while Bridgewater is sidelined. However, the former No.1 overall pick is signed through the 2017 season and that does give the Vikings some insurance in case Bridgewater is not ready to go for the start of next season. Also, if Bradford performs well this year and Bridgewater comes back healthy, the Vikings could find a healthy trade market for Bradford and recoup some of what they sent to Philly.
The Eagles have already paid Bradford his $11MM signing bonus, but they are now off the hook for the remaining $7MM in 2016. In 2017, Bradford will carry a $22.5MM cap number with a $13MM base salary.
With Bradford out of the picture, the Eagles will turn to either Chase Daniel or rookie Carson Wentz to start at QB to begin the season. Daniel, who has a history in Doug Pederson‘s offense, is more likely to get the nod.
The trade reunites Bradford with his old teammate at Oklahoma, Adrian Peterson. Bradford set new career-highs in 2015 with a 65.0% completion percentage and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vikings, Eagles Have Discussed Bradford Trade
The Vikings and Eagles have discussed a possible trade involving quarterback Sam Bradford, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the Eagles are not looking to move him.
[RELATED: Vikings Looking To Deal Jarius Wright?]
The Eagles, of course, traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft to select Carson Wentz. They also spent significant money to sign former Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel. However, Bradford is slated to be under center for Philly when the season gets underway in just over a week. It’s not surprising to hear that the Vikings called on Bradford in the wake of Teddy Bridgewater‘s season-ending injury, but it’s also not surprising to hear that the Eagles have turned down the Vikes.
Bradford, acquired a year ago by Chip Kelly‘s Eagles in a trade with the Rams, has had his ups and downs in 14 starts for Philadelphia in 2015, but his overall numbers have been solid. The Oklahoma product set new career-highs with a 65.0% completion percentage, and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Shopping CB Eric Rowe
The Eagles are attempting to trade cornerback Eric Rowe, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, who adds that Philadelphia has been trying to deal Rowe since training camp began. Rowe, 24 next month, was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft.
During his rookie campaign, Rowe appeared in all 16 games (starting five), and played on about 40% of the Philadelphia’s defense snaps. In that time, Rowe posted one interception, five passes defensed, and 24 tackles. He doesn’t appear ticketed for a starting job under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, however, as Nolan Carroll, Leodis McKelvin, and Ron Brooks look to be the Eagles’ top three defensive backs.
De facto GM Howie Roseman hasn’t been afraid to deal away players acquired by former head coach Chip Kelly, as he’s already shipped out Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, and DeMarco Murray.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Reactions From Tim Tebow’s Baseball Workout
Tim Tebow worked out in front of representatives of 28 different MLB teams on Tuesday and he didn’t exactly look the part of a polished big leaguer. Tebow got “mixed reviews” after his audition on the USC campus, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes. 
Tebow, 29, ran a solid 6.70-second 60-yard-dash and belted some long home runs in practice. However, he struggled to hit off-speed pitches from former big-leaguers David Aardsma and Chad Smith. Also, according to one scout who spoke to Crasnick, Tebow showed a below-average 40 grade arm on the 20-80 scouts scale – an especially poor showing for a former NFL quarterback. Even though Tebow did not have a great day on the field, he still insists that he is serious about his baseball pursuit.
“This isn’t about publicity,” Tebow said. “It’s definitely not about money. I took a pay cut to do this. For me, you pursue what you love regardless of what else happens. If you fail or fall flat on your face, and that’s the worst thing that can happen, it’s OK. When did pursuing what you love become such a bad thing? I’ll make all the sacrifices to be the best I can.”
For what it’s worth, Tebow understands that he has some work to do before he reaches the big leagues and he may even consider playing winter league ball in Latin America. If Tebow is indeed willing to leave the country to play baseball, one can’t help but wonder why he was never willing to try and reignite his football career in the CFL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Add Gaston, Metz
We’ve had quite a busy day as teams worked feverishly to get under the 75-man roster maximum before the afternoon deadline. Here are the rest of the roster moves made so far:
- The Packers have released punter Tim Masthay to make room for fellow punter Jacob Schum, whom they claimed on waivers from the Buccaneers, Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel tweets.
- The Browns have signed punter Michael Palardy and waived free safety Tim Scott, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. Palardy will battle it out with new acquisition Kasey Redfern.
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The Eagles announced that they have claimed defensive tackle Bruce Gaston off waivers from the Chargers. The Purdue product has played with five teams to date. Philadelphia also signed defensive end Jake Metz, according to a team announcement. Metz previously played with the Arena League’s Philadelphia Soul.
- The Buccaneers moved guard J.R. Sweezy and receiver Louis Murphy to the PUP list, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. In related moves, linebacker Jeremiah George and safety Kimario McFadden have been re-signed.
- Contrary to previous reports, the Saints are not cutting linebacker Jeff Schoettmer (Twitter link via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune).
- The Steelers have moved their roster to 75 men by waiving safety Jacob Hagen, defensive tackle Devaunte Sigler and cornerback Kevin White, the club announced.
- The Colts had one open roster spot, and they’ve filled by signing safety Alden Darby, per a team announcement.
- The Bears have waived rookie cornerback Kevin Peterson, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Latest On Lane Johnson
Eagles tackle Lane Johnson will start Week 1 if his suspension has not started yet, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters today, including Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (Twitter link). There had been some thought that Philadelphia would hold Johnson out even if his ban hadn’t been announced, but that apparently will not happen.
Johnson is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy, but even though the ban was reported weeks ago, the NFL still hasn’t made the suspension official. Meanwhile, Johnson has said that he’ll appeal any suspension that is announced, so it’s possible that he’d be able to play Week 1 while the appeal process was underway.
If the Eagles are without Johnson for more than half the season, it would be a crushing blow to their O-Line and offense as a whole. Johnson, the fourth overall pick in 2013, has been a starter for the Eagles since the team drafted him out of Oklahoma, playing primarily at right tackle before spending some time at left tackle in 2015. In his three years with the Eagles, he has only missed four games due to his aforementioned PED suspension. This past season, Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 24th among offensive tackles, out of 81 qualified players at the position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Sign Cedric O'Neal
- The Eagles announced that they have signed running back Cedric O’Neal, who was previously released by the team on August 21. Additionally, Philadelphia has released cornerback Aaron Grymes with an injury settlement, Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets.
Eagles Cut Rueben Randle
The Eagles have announced a series of roster moves today, and the most surprising transaction is the release of wide receiver Rueben Randle, who was signed to a one-year deal over the offseason. Randle, who is still only 25 years old, was thought to be a clear starter for Philadelphia after averaging 56 receptions, 782 yards, and six touchdowns over the past three seasons with the Giants.
But after the Eagles acquired Dorial Green-Beckham, Randle’s roster spot became tenuous, especially given his lackluster performance during the preseason. Philadelphia handed Randle $500K in guarantees plus a $25K roster bonus, so the club will incur $525K in dead money. Because he’s a vested veteran, Randle will not have to clear waivers and will become a free agent immediately.
The Eagles also made the following transactions:
Cut:
- John DePalma, LS
- Randall Evans, CB
- Andrew Gardner, OL
- Chris Givens, WR
- Mike Martin, DT
- Nick Perry, S
- Denzel Rice
Placed On Injured Reserve:
- Alex McCalister, DE
- Joe Walker, DE
Eagles To Work Out Pair Of AFL Stars
The Eagles will be taking a look at a pair of AFL standouts next week. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will be bringing in Philadelphia Soul players Darius Reynolds and Jake Metz on Monday.
Reynolds, a 27-year-old wideout, went undrafted out of Iowa State in 2012. He briefly caught on with the Packers, but he was subsequently released following a failed physical. Over the past five seasons, the 6-foot-2 receiver has bounced around the Arena Football League. His best season came in 2014 with Iowa, when he compiled 126 receptions for 1,885 yards and 39 touchdowns. Last season, the receiver finished with 112 receptions with 1,447 yards and 38 touchdowns. Reynolds also has experience in the running and returning game.
Metz, 25, went undrafted out of Shippensburg in 2014. The defensive end worked out with the Eagles, Giants, and Lions, but he ultimately landed with the Soul. In 2016, Metz established himself as one of the top defenders in the AFL, compiling 22 tackles, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles. His performance led to him receiving the Arena Football League’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award.
As Rob Tornoe of Philly.com notes, this wouldn’t be the first time that the Eagles snag players from the Soul. In 2012, the team added Anthony “Tiger” Jones, although the receiver was released before the start of the season.
Details On Stephen Tulloch's Contract
- Stephen Tulloch‘s one-year pact with the Eagles calls for a $1.75MM fully guaranteed base salary with nearly $47K in per-game bonuses that max out at $750K, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He can also earn $750K through incentives.