New head coach Doug Pederson told the media that he felt Sam Bradford was the perfect quarterback for his offense and the return of the star would be a priority this offseason. Considering the quarterback market, the Eagles must make Bradford a priority, but he holds the power right now, knowing his leverage on the open market. With that in mind, Bradford is making some steep contract demands that the Eagles might not be able to meet.
According to CBSSports.com, Bradford asked for $25 million from the Philadelphia Eagles when the two sides met to talk about a contract extension. The Eagles were not willing to give that high of a contract and their stance on that might not be lowered. The Eagles tried to extend Bradford before the season to a short-term contract. After trading a second-round pick for the quarterback, they wanted to try and secure him for a few seasons. According to CBSSports.com, Bradford's demands were too high then and they have yet to be lowered. As a result, he might not be back in Philadelphia next season.
The Eagles want to extend Bradford, Pederson has made that clear. However, there is a limit as to what they will pay. Bradford essentially has one positive season under his belt where he was good, but not great. He could easily excel under a better offensive system, but with doubt in the air, the Eagles will not take that chance and overspend. Pederson is hopeful something gets done.
"I think Sam's a quality quarterback," Pederson said, via ESPN.com. "I think he's a top-notch quarterback. Look what he did that last half of the season, the numbers he was able to put up. As a quarterback, he would fit perfectly with a system that I'm going to bring. Sam brings a whole skill set that benefits him. It is a pass-friendly system, but it is not so much a vertical system as people think. Today's game has changed offensively."
The Eagles could easily hit Bradford with a franchise tag. It would cost the team $20 million in guaranteed money in 2016, but considering the current quarterback market, that might be the best move to make. If the Eagles do not keep Bradford, they will have to get someone in the NFL Draft and the prospects this year are not guaranteed success. ESPN's Todd McShay is not sold on any of the options being ready to lead a franchise. Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz are the highest-rated options and even they have question markets. Trades for players like Colin Kaepernick, Zach Mettenberger or Blaine Gabbert are options, but not great ones. Bradford is the better option for the Eagles unless they have some secret faith that Mark Sanchez is ready to start again.
