The Life of Riley was a radio sit-com during the 1940s, a 1949 Hollywood movie, and a long-running TV sit-com during the 1950s. Growing up during the ‘50s, I watched the show every week.
William Bendix starred as Chester A. Riley – a lovable but blundering blue-collar wing-riveter at Cunningham Aircraft plant in California. In every episode, Riley invariably encountered some sort of predicament. At which time he would utter the show’s catchphrase “What a revoltin’ development this is.”
And Tuesday, when the trade was announced that the Philadelphia Eagles were sending Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams and bringing Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles, the first words that popped into my brain were “What a revoltin’ development this is.”
Let’s compare the two quarterbacks:
Nick Foles – Age 26 – 6-5 & 240.
Sam Bradford – Age 27 – 6-4 & 236.
Nick Foles – selected 3rd Round of 2012 Draft – 88th Overall Pick.
Sam Bradford – selected 1st Round 2010 Draft – 1st Overall Pick.
Nick Foles missed 1 game 2012 with broken hand – missed 1 game 2013 due to a concussion – missed 8 games 2014 with fractured clavicle.
Sam Bradford missed 6 games 2011 with assorted lower body injuries – missed 9 games 2013 with torn ACL – missed all 14 games 2014 with torn ACL in same knee.
Nick Foles – 15-9-0 as starter – 62.5%.
Sam Bradford – 18-30-1 as starter – 37.5% (threw out the tie.)
Nick Foles – 550-for-893 – 61.6% – 6,753 yards – 46 TDs and 17 INTs.
Sam Bradford – 1,032-for-1,760 – 58.6% – 11,065 yards – 59 TDs and 38 INTs.
Nick Foles’ 2015 salary $600,000
Sam Bradford’s 2015 salary $13-million
Are we to believe that Sam Bradford is a better fit for Chip Kelly’s system than Nick Foles?
I refuse to believe that.
And I also refuse to believe than an intelligent individual would trade a $600,000 quarterback for a $13-million quarterback – when the “analytics” are so inconclusive – except for the one that says the Eagles will pay Sam Bradford 21.667 times more money than they would’ve paid Nick Foles. That’s an analytic that can’t be ignored.
Please read that again – Sam Bradford makes 21.667 times more than Nick Foles.
Sorry – but I don’t think he’s worth it.
Right at this moment – while I’m writing this article – I’m listening to Chip Kelly’s press conference. Chip is swearing that Sam Bradford is his quarterback and that he wanted him for quite some time. Supposedly Chip went back and looked at the films of every throw Sam Bradford made in the NFL – and Chip was impressed. He’s also swearing that he’d never mortgage the future to acquire Marcus Mariota – or anyone else.
When pressed with questions, Chip claimed Jeffrey Lurie came up with the idea for him to serve the dual role of coach and GM – but he wasn’t convincing. Nor was that the way it seemed to play out.
Still pressed, Chip blamed Howie Roseman for drafting Marcus Smith – but he wasn’t convincing. Way too convenient and self-serving.
To me, the motivation for the trade is simple: Chip Kelly never wanted Nick Foles because he didn’t draft him. Make no doubt about it, Chip wants to win a Super Bowl. But Chip wants to do it his way – and he wants to take all the credit. Sam Bradford is now Chip’s quarterback because Chip traded to get him.
What Chip Kelly sees in Sam Bradford mystifies me – Bradford never showed me anything that turned my head. To break the bank for someone who may or may not be marginally better than Nick Foles for 22 times more money is an extension of Chip’s ego trip. As as Eagles fan, I hope he pulls it off – but doubt it.
In any case, what a revoltin’ development this is.
I also listened to Sam Bradford’s press conference. He comes across as articulate, intelligent, and personable. He seems to be motivated and dedicated.
Sam Bradford impressed me and I wish him the best. He also said that he’s trying to convince his former roommate at Oklahoma to sign with the Eagles – that former roommate being DeMarco Murray.
I’ve been an Eagles fan for better than six decades. But I still can’t come to grips with this trade. I can see Nick Foles turning the Rams into contenders this season, but I can’t see Sam Bradford turning the Eagles into contenders this season.
Hope I’m wrong about Sam Bradford.
Barry Bowe is the author of Born to Be Wild and 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
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