Mike Zimmer didn't know much about Sam Bradford, but saw him as missing piece

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Who would have thought when the Vikings traded for Sam Bradford that they would be the NFL's last remaining unbeaten team heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Eagles? Or that Bradford would have the league's highest completion percentage (70.4 percent) and second-best passer rating (109.7) with no interceptions at this stage of the season?

There might've been some people inside the Vikings organization who had an inkling. After all, they were willing to trade a 2017 first-round draft pick along with a conditional fourth in 2018 to the Eagles little more than one week before the regular season was set to kick off.

As head coach Mike Zimmer explained on Wednesday, the Vikings knew they had all of the right pieces in place for a successful campaign. The only thing that was missing was the quarterback.

"I felt like at this point in time we have a pretty good football team, and with Shaun Hill (36-year-old backup quarterback) at his age, I wasn't sure he would be able to make it through the season," Zimmer said. "So we were looking at all the options, and when we found out that Sam might be available, we felt like it was a good opportunity for us."

The Vikings were so confident in the rest of their roster, the conditions of the pick in 2018 are tied to how deep they go in the playoffs. If Minnesota reaches the conference title game, it becomes a third-round choice. Should the franchise win its first Super Bowl, it becomes a second.

Some laughed at the notion that Bradford, with a career record of 25-37-1 as a professional and no postseason experience, could guide any team that far. The Vikings, on the other hand, were coming off an 11-5 season in which they were a missed 27-yard field goal away from beating the Seahawks and advancing to the divisional round.

A catastrophic knee injury to starting signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater in August conspired to derail the Vikings' 2016 campaign before it even started. Then Bradford arrived to help get everybody back on track.

"It brought another dimension to us that our players — you lose a guy like Teddy Bridgewater, and all of a sudden a guy like Bradford lifts your football team," Zimmer said. "So I think it's been a win for us."

Bradford did show signs of improvement with the Eagles last year, perhaps not coincidentally the first time he finished a season since 2012. His completion percentage (65.0), passing yards (3,725) and yards per attempt (7.0) were all career highs, as was his .500 winning percentage (7-7) in starts.

Still, it took a huge leap of faith on the organization's part to pull the trigger on such a huge deal. Zimmer himself even admits he really didn't know a whole lot about Bradford.

"I've always thought Bradford has a great arm and he was a poised guy," Zimmer said. "Obviously, I didn't know a lot of things about him, just that he had been hurt some.

"He's been great for us. He's studied very hard. He's tried to learn everything. He's trying to get in with teammates, understand how we have to play, figure out the situations, all the different things you have to do as a quarterback, which is very difficult. He's done a remarkable job."

There was at least one person with the Vikings who had intimate knowledge of Bradford, though: tight ends coach Pat Shurmur. Shurmur was head coach of the Rams when Bradford was drafted No. 1 overall in 2010, and he was of course the offensive coordinator during Bradford's lone season with the Eagles.

There's no question Shurmur's familiarity with Bradford helped make everybody more comfortable with the decision, including Zimmer.

"I think Pat had a lot of influence," Zimmer said. "Pat's been with him in two places and he loves him. He thought he'd be a great fit for what we do and I trust my assistants.

"Pat told me he was really a smart guy and it wouldn't take him long to get acclimated. The coaches have done a great job trying to figure out things he's comfortable with and things he can do. I'm not really surprised, though."

The speed with which Bradford has been able to learn a new offense and play at such a high level is the most surprising aspect of all. Even observers who sensed the seventh-year veteran was beginning to come into his own last season couldn't have seen this coming.

Bradford was held out of the season opener, but by Week 2, he was ready to take the reins.

"I think he would've been ready to play in the first ballgame if he had to play it," Zimmer said. "I was very impressed. He spent a lot of time trying to get acclimated.

"You don't even think about some of the things. You have to learn the cadence, you have to learn the huddle, you have to learn the terminology, you have to learn the other guys' names, where the splits are, routes, checks."

The way Bradford's gone about his business and played, Zimmer says it's no surprise his teammates have rallied behind him.

"I think the biggest thing is he performed," Zimmer said. "Guys really like that in the locker room.

"He's performed really well. Guys see the things he does every day in practice and the way he works and the way he prepares, and so that helps in the locker room all the time."

Zimmer feels it's not necessarily Bradford's job to be a leader, citing the quarterback's taking control of the offense as the most important aspect. Bradford has certainly accomplished that, and in doing so, he's a leader by example.

The way the Vikings are playing in all three phases, the idea that Bradford could win a Super Bowl isn't nearly as funny now.

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