The Eagles' decision to basically trade away this year's and next year's draft to move up and get quarterback Carson Wentz at No. 2 was greeted with wide-scale speculation from the Philly faithful and for good reason. It will take a few years before we actually know whether or not team vice president Howie Roseman and new head coach Doug Pederson knew what the hell they were doing, but Wentz now has five good reasons of his own to thank current starting quarterback Sam Bradford for a smoother than expected transition to becoming the new face of the franchise.
First, Bradford's child-like reaction to the Eagles' trade has backfired both in the locker room and in the court of public opinion. In my mind, it would be hard to see him even with the team on opening day after completely alienating himself from the organization while demanding a trade. If he does step on the field in the season opener as the starting quarterback against Cleveland, the fans will turn on him like angry wolves.
Second, Bradford was a former No.1 overall draft pick that has yet to live up to all the expectations put on him when he first came into the league. If Bradford does stick around as the starter for most of next season and Wentz does go on and become a bust, he can blame Bradford for showing him the way.
The third reason why Wentz owes a great deal of gratitude for Branford's recent hissy fit is the Eagles' fans themselves. These tortured souls have long memories and if you turn on the team they will turn on you. Even if Wentz stinks up the field when he finally does get a chance to start, the fans will cheer him wildly just because he is not Sam Bradford.
Moving down the list, the fourth reason why Wentz should think of Bradford as his best friend is for setting the bar pretty low with his overall performance last year. Some football experts will look at Bradford's stats and argue that he had a pretty good year, but the bottom line is still wins and losses and when Bradford did get his chance to get the Eagles into the playoffs in key game against Washington in late December he failed to get the job done.
The final reason why Wentz should get a free pass this season compliments of Sam Bradford is the simple fact that hope springs eternal in Philadelphia. We have been starved for a fresh face at quarterback that actually has the skills to get this team back into the playoffs on a consistent basis. Donovan McNabb had his fair share of ups and downs during his 11-year tenure in this town, but he was a big reason for Andy Reid'success during a run that included five trips to the NFC title game and one Super Bowl appearance. Since then, it has been one disappointment after another.
Michael Vick had nothing left in the tank and Nick Foles was never really given a chance to prove he was a franchise-type quarterback. If Bradford does remain with the team, then that will only build even more anticipation and excitement for Wentz's eventual debut. At this point I would give Chase Daniel the starting job so he can actually help the Eagles' new franchise quarterback get ready to take over the reins.
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