Since the end of the 2015 season, Eagles fans have been mostly split into two groups: "Sign Sam Bradford" and "Draft a guy."
Looks like they both might win.
The Eagles and Bradford, the most polarizing athlete in the city, agreed to a two-year deal Tuesday that will keep the 28-year-old quarterback in Philadelphia through the 2017 season. The deal, according to ESPN, is worth $36 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
In the short-term, the deal gives the Eagles their best shot of being competitive in 2016, while paying Bradford some big-time money. And in the long-term, if the whole thing blows up, it won't handcuff the organization for years to come.
Head coach Doug Pederson, meanwhile, has been pretty clear about his philosophy on rookie quarterbacks. He likes the idea of a rookie coming in and getting the chance to learn under an established veteran. Bradford looks like the veteran. Now they just have to find the rookie.
While signing Bradford and drafting a quarterback were never mutually exclusive, the shorter deal makes it seem much more likely the team takes a quarterback in the draft.
"It’s a talented group," Pederson said last week. “It’s just a matter of figuring out how can they command a huddle? How can they come into Philadelphia and convince Jason Peters of what they’re selling. I want to be able to see that. I want to be able to looking in their eyes and say that’s the guy I can hang my hat on."
It's unclear if that guy is in this year's draft class. By all accounts, this is a pretty weak year for quarterbacks. Based on early projections, the top two quarterbacks in this class are Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. If that's the way things shake out, it's possible that would leave Paxton Lynch as the top QB on the board when the Eagles pick at No. 13. The Eagles met informally and formally with the Memphis quarterback last week at the combine.
If it's not one of the top three, the Eagles could decide to take a quarterback in a later round. There are several intriguing prospects that have upside to go along with warts in their game.
Maybe the quarterback of the future isn't even in this year's draft. Maybe the quarterback of the future is Bradford.
No, he didn't get a five-year deal this time around, but if he plays well over the next two seasons, he'd be just 30 years old and could then go after a big-time contract extension.
It seems likely that Bradford's agent went to Indianapolis last week and figured out the market for his client wouldn’t offer up a deal worth $18 million per year over five or six years. That would help explain why Bradford agreed to come back on a two-year deal. Tuesday's franchise tag deadline seemed to create an added sense of urgency even though it was unlikely the Eagles would tag Bradford and take on a nearly $20 million cap hit in 2015.
Another key: Bradford wanted to be back. He said as much shortly after the season ended and recently Pederson relayed the same message after having phone conversations with the quarterback.
The next question is about which quarterbacks will be on the roster with Bradford in 2016. Right now, Mark Sanchez is under contract and $1 million of his base salary is guaranteed, but cutting him would give the team an added $3.5 million in cap space. There might be cheaper options for a backup.
Either way, Bradford will be the starter in 2016. And, while there are questions about his ability to be the "franchise quarterback" many want him to be, he clearly got something cooking late last year, the further he got away from his second ACL surgery. In his last seven games, he completed 68 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. And he really seemed to find a rhythm with key members of the offense, including Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz.
This move gives the Eagles options. They'll have an extended look at Bradford to determine whether or not he's the guy. If he is, then they can really break the bank.
If he isn't, they can draft his replacement and send him on his way in a year or two.