Eagles coordinators refute coach's idea that Sam Bradford's the undisputed starter
Sam Bradford's agent previously said a competition between Bradford and Carson Wentz wouldn't be 'real'
•
2 min read
Remember the assurance Eagles coach Doug Pederson gave to Sam Bradford in the aftermath of the trade that netted Carson Wentz? Since that move, Pederson has maintained that Bradford is his starting quarterback.
The credibility of that assurance might need to be questioned, though. This week, the Eagles' top two assistants disputed that notion. According to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Frank Reich, Bradford isn't the undisputed top quarterback on the roster.
Here's Reich weighing in (after he was asked if Bradford is the clear starter):
"No, that's probably not the right impression," Reich told the 94WIP Morning Show, a CBS Sports Radio station. "I've been around this business a long time as a player and as a coach, and one of the things I've really come to appreciate is it's not a contradiction to say you've got to have order. Because if you don't order it's chaos. So, if you're the head coach you gotta come in and you've gotta establish order. There has to be organization, there has to be order, but the other thing that -- as coaches -- that you've got to establish is a culture of competition. This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there's not competition, that's just the furthest thing from the truth."
And here's what Schwartz had to say:
"Don't judge (Carson Wentz) on somebody else and then also, don't predetermine the results of the race," Schwartz said, via CBS Philadelphia. "Just let him go play."
So it's not like Schwartz and Reich said Bradford won't win the job, but they cast aside this idea that he's guaranteed to start. Instead, they both seemed to indicate a real competition between Bradford and Wentz is in store this summer.
That might not make Bradford happy. During Bradford's brief holdout after the trade, his agent, Tom Condon, explained why a competition wouldn't be fair.
"I know people say, 'Well, why doesn't he just compete and win the job?'" Condon told Andrew Brandt on The Business of Sports, via PFT. "There is no real competition. If you've given up the draft choices [to trade up] and he's the second pick in the draft, he's playing. That's all there is to it."
All four of them -- Pederson, Reich, Schwartz, and Condon -- are right. As it stands, Bradford is probably ahead of Wentz, and if the season started tomorrow, he'd be the starter. Given Wentz needs some time to develop, I'm guessing Pederson fully intends to enter the season with Bradford as his quarterback.
But the coordinators are also correct. Football is competitive; if Wentz outplays Bradford, then he should start over Bradford. And Condon's point remains true: Given all that the Eagles gave up to acquire Wentz, they're going to be a whole lot more invested in his future than Bradford's.
At least Bradford will earn a decent chunk of cash to sit on the bench -- if it comes to that.
