Several weeks ago, Mark Sanchez told reporters that Chip Kelly told him there would be an open competition for the starting job at quarterback this summer.
While many laughed off the notion as ridiculous, Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly spoke to members of the media on Thursday and confirmed that there would be an open competition at the quarterback spot.
Kelly said that Sam Bradford was progressing well in his rehab, however the former Ram would have to compete for a starting spot once he was fully healthy.
Considering that the Eagles surrendered both Nick Foles AND a second-round pick to acquire Bradford’s services, the very notion that he’s not even a lock to be the Eagles’ starter on Opening Day is one of the most asinine things I’ve ever heard. Imagine if we make it to the end of the season, and Mark Sanchez has started the majority of games not because of any injury to Bradford, but because he beat him out in Training Camp.
The Eagles will have then parted with two significant assets and received absolutely nothing in return. Even though Nick Foles clearly wasn’t Chip Kelly’s guy, he was very much a tradeable asset that could have at least gotten the Eagles a similar return to what they got for lesser quarterbacks in A.J. Feeley and Kevin Kolb in the past. Flipping him AND the second-rounder for a guy full of question marks like Bradford was already questionable enough, but the very possibility that both Foles and the high pick could have been completely wasted is nothing short of egregious.
If Chip Kelly is in any way seriously considering leaving the door open for Mark Sanchez to be his guy, then this operation is going to crumble even sooner than I thought. There’s just no upside of any kind to Sanchez. If the former Jet is under center, then defenses don’t have to worry at all about a vertical attack, and will put all of their efforts into shutting down DeMarco Murray and the running game while waiting to capitalize on the inevitable Sanchez mistake.
The fact that Bradford is barely participating in OTA’s likely means he won’t be ready Week 1, which is unfortunate for this team. Although our schedule is more difficult in the second half, so as long as Bradford can progress I would be fine with him not starting right off the bat.
The problem is, if you plan on signing this guy next offseason, you want to know he’s going to be able to hold up to a 16 game season. With the contract Bradford will most likely demand, it makes it hard for me to wrap my head around why we don’t put him on the PUP list, force him to miss the first 8 games, which will decrease his value and get us a better deal next offseason. I don’t know I’m just trying to make sense of all this.
I still don’t mind the Foles-Bradford trade though. I’d rather roll the dice with potential then be content with a guy who had worse numbers than Mark Sanchez with basically the same amount of snaps. The difference between Foles and Sanchez is small, which is why we got rid of him. Can’t win anything significant with two mediocre QB’s.
If the Foles-Bradford trade didn’t include our second round pick next year, it wouldn’t look nearly as outrageous as it does right now.
I get that Kelly didn’t like Foles, and if he wanted to move on from him, fine, but including the second-rounder as part of that deal was beyond ridiculous.
Bradford’s status is so murky, I just can’t see how it’s worth it. Here you have a quarterback already full of question marks being asked to come in, learn a new system and rehab in time for the season….if he’s not healthy and ready to go by Training Camp, it’s a disaster because he’s missing valuable reps and putting himself (and the team) further behind with every team workout he misses.
The Eagles can’t afford to have a slow start and play catch-up for the rest of the year.
This just isn’t a situation that’s conducive to success, and the fact that we may part with what could be a pretty high second-rounder to set the table for such a situation to play out just makes it all the more frustrating to me.
‘learning the system’ doesn’t seem to be an issue– vick learned it, foles and sanchez learned it. I think too much goes into that – plus i think its a relatively simple system.–seems to be a lot of counting- which side has 5 guys and which side has 6 etc.
Denny, I have come to appreciate Chip Kelly as our Head Coach, but from a personnel standpoint, he doesn’t know what he’s doing…
He’s trying to build a College Team, in the NFL. Lackluster, soft, finesse style team players, when he needs to think of all those Characteristics, as well as Physicality…
What’s equally frustrating is that , even if Bradford doesn’t play, the Eagles don’t get back what they lost in giving up Foles – I think all we get is a 3rd???
Can you check that for me? But this was a trade that was masterminded by someone who had no idea what he was doing – outside looking for a skill set to run his system – and for me Mariota would have stunk it up too..
Yeah GM, I believe if Bradford plays less than eight games, the eagles get a third rounder from the rams (which would give them three third round picks altogether next year)
Well, I have said all offseason, that Mariota wasn’t what Eagles fans really wanted anyway. The more talented QB, we need is in next years draft..
They better stock pile draft picks, because we still have needs at WR,OG, CB, S, OLB – We have no pass rush from that position – and we WILL have to draft Jason Peters successor – Lane Johnson is NOT a LT….
dis FUCKING gusting. sanchez is our starter week 1 . puuuuuuuuuuuuke fuckin kelly man
Yeah… Just as I stated back in February… Mark Sanchez will be the Starting QB for the 2015..
I also stated that this will be Sam Bradford’s Final Season in the NFL and I still stand by this… He’s lost the Passion & Desire to Play anymore at the highest level combined with his Health Issues…..
It is what it is…
paul has your neck feel? gotta imagine its gotta be hurting with all that sucking of ur own dick u been doing lately
over reaction monday! its may 29 and the gcobb crowd has announced the starting QB for week 1 in Sept.! I love it.
soft finesse team? he dumped a soft finesse runner for a power runner?
Its Friday. Dipshit.
should have been in quotes i guess– over reaction monday is a segment on nfl live on espn–
Paul your assessment is stupid!
You watch the garbage network that is ESPN for any reason at all? Dipshit.
You bring such an intellect to the conversation.
And you are a blind, kool-aid drinking sheep.
Good luck with the #inchipwetrust nonsense and get all your facts from the tools on ESPN
I was anti-chip hiring
and i never endorsed espn as anything– you seem to have some issues…
Bradford most likely will not be ready until Week #5-#6 on the Regular Season as I have been saying for a while now … Sanchez will start the Season and be the #1 QB and if the Eagles Offense is playing well, then likely no change at QB as it will be Sanchez’s Team
If the Eagles and Sanchez are struggling then “Sam I Ain’t” comes in to Start & Play and Chip see’s what he can do..
That’s that bullshit right there 12.9 million dollar back up, sheesh can it get any worse?
whats bullshit? that paul made another stupid outlandish statement? that happens several times a day on this site!
No cigar the open competition at QB. We saw what The Season Killer did last year enough is enough.
coaches speak ‘there is competition at all positions blah blah’–
If there’s one position you don’t want competition at, its quarterback.
Dipshit.
bradford is the starter… its really that simple-
do you know any other words beside dipshit… how bout troll? that works for you–
Bradford’s the starter! Bradford is on schedule!
Until he’s not, and you see mr. butt fumble under center in atlanta.
even now, jeff mclane just reported that bradford doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to healthy. you’re seeing sanchez.
All I hear from you is “BAAAAAAAAH” (like a sheep!)
Remind me again who they play next Sunday?
If its sanchez we are screwed but right now its bradford… all the panic about BF is ridiculous– If opening day comes and its him… panic away!
Sigh.
I REALLY beleive LLCB thought he was gonna get Mariota.
It didn’t happen so he’s stuck with Larry, Curly and Mo as his options at QB.
A fucking QB comp? REALLY?
Sigh.
You know whoever starts is going down at some point this year (none of these mofos are reliably mobile and Kelly ain’t taking out the R/O) so we will likely see ALL of these fools at some point this year.
UGGGHHHH!!!!!!!
Yep
Agree 100%, ts.
Three years, three different Opening Day starters…and there’s a good chance that next year we’ll have our fourth in four years.
It’s just ridiculous at this point.
You can’t win consistently without some consistency at the QB position.
The only upside to this season is that Dallas has that BRUTAL stretch of games early – so they may be out of it before the season really gets started.
It’s just crazy at this point. SMH.
bradford has to be the guy– it has been the key to the season since the day he was traded here. clearly they aren’t worried about his knees and we can only assume that they think he can run this thing…i guess only time will tell- i still contend May 29 is way too early to worry about it.
Exactly.
Sooner or later, you’ve got to get some sort of consistency at the position. You can’t keep changing your mind and trying to plug a new guy in year after year…that kind of approach is doomed to fail at some point.
And he didn’t draft a guy. I thought for sure he would draft a guy especially when Hundley fell so far in the draft. Granted he needed a lot of work to potentially be an NFL QB, but I thought that they would at least take a look at him.
All 3 of these guys have deficiencies…
-Bradford can’t stay on the field.
-Tebow can’t throw
-Sanchez poops himself in every big situation
Yikes
All 3 of these guys have deficiencies…
-Bradford can’t stay on the field. – Larry
-Tebow can’t throw – Curly
-Sanchez poops himself in every big situation – And Mo
Shoulda drafted Hundley or the Auburn guy.
Projects yes…but a whole lot of potential. A couple years and they may very well have been worth the investment. And they wouldn’t have cost much.
Bradford does not have the mental toughness to lead a NFL Team…
This is the big white elephant at the NovaCare Complex that Chip Kelly and others are beginning to see and understand about Sam Bradford … All give nice accolades on Bradford,s Arm, High Football IQ,his Likeability, etc,etc, but have you read or heard 1 comment about his Heart, his Fire, his Desire or his Toughness… Bradford is not the Savoir and Kelly has quickly realized this and is opening competition which is why he Re-signed Sanchez in the first place in case Bradford was a no go…. Chip Kelly & Eagles would have been better off in 2015 to keep Foles, Bring Sanchez back and see what happens, there was no pressure to give Foles a new Deal since he’s missed time in both of his last 2 Seasons, If Foles played well in 2015 and Team plays well, then you give him a new Deal, if Foles did not play well or got injured again, then you move on after the 2015 Season which apparently is going to happen with Bradford here, so why spend the $12 Million Difference for a Player that do not know is healthy or mentally strong enough to play and to Trade a 2nd Round Pick in doing so when most likely the Team ends up in a same place after 2015, which is still needing that QB
Poor Roster Management and Planning by Chip Kelly is all you can say..
I was up there yesterday and I don’t know whether Bradford is going to be ready at the start of the season or not. I can tell that the guy throws the ball better than any of the other quarterbacks. You can see why he was the first pick in the draft.
In addition, I can also tell you that Mark Sanchez looked good and he may take his game to another level in this offense because he’s a year away from the shoulder surgery. He’s more comfortable and knowledgeable in this offense and his arm may be ready to throw deep more often and outside routes.
I don’t think they know how it’s going go play out.
We will see, stay tuned.
Sanchez’s problem isn’t whether or not he can play. It’s his inability to perform under pressure. Dude folds like a cheap suite when things start to go wrong. He can’t shake off the bad and push forward. THAT’S the problem with Sanchez more than anything else.
What seemingly is clear ,is that nobody on this site ,has any clue ,as to what chip wants in a QB..To name a starter in May has zero impact on the foreseeable future .We have 3 heisman winners who all are losers in many respects .All have “issues” all are ex-quarterbacks who have had checkered pasts with other organizations.Until Chip finds a guy who has a clean slate ,who he can mold in his vision ,none of these guys will be of any consequence .The only certainty ,is that Chip is doing damage control ..He was played in his first dealings as GM ,jumping into a reflex reaction ,thinking he had competition for “Sam I Am” ..he knows full well ,he was played.This is a simmering heap of garbage and he’s trying to spray a deodorant into his self made cespool..I don’t want the Sanchize as my starter ..I don’t want to hear of Tebow …and I don’t see anything that has been resolved by bringing in a gimp,who has a lame duck contract ..let’s stop with all the rhetoric ,this stinks ..simply stated ..we gave chip the keys to the Maserati and he hit a guard rail ..
We do know what Kelly wants in a QB – he just couldn’t get him.
And now we’re stuck with the troubling trio we have now.
G Cobb ..Mark Sanchez is what he is ..Its fanciful to put a spin on it ..I’d like believe he’s been resurrected ,but the final 4 games of last season that mattered most ,still showed ,when the chips are all on the table ,he folds like a cheap suit..he always has ,and always will..unless Barkley, who should have been given the Giant game to show his mettle ,emerges ..(not likely) there isn’t a signal caller,on this roster who will take us to the promise land..
Agreed. People can try and spin the Mark Sanchez story all they want. Sanchez stinks. He wasn’t “just as good”. He folds under pressure. He displays terrible body language in every tough situation, and he can’t theow more than 15 yards without foating it up there for anyone to grab, or the very least get his WRs totalled.
Well Vinnie you called this when Kelly was hired the carousel at QB at Oregon. You hit the nail on the head with that one.
Yeee haw….13 starters over the past 6 years! 3 more this year! Keep the carousel rolling!
When and what G will it take before we all start to stop gulping down the green kool aid? You can put lipstick on a PIG ,but I aint kissing it ,anytime soon..
TS…what you’re assuming is that Mariotta was that guy …I’m asking you this …what if he falls on his heisman sword ,like every other heisman QB..then tell me…he needed to be in chips system..it’s all folly .
What?
Mariota was definitely *his* guy.
Whether he’s a quality NFL Qb *shrugs* but his BEST shot would have been here in there system he was familiar with – Bradford was trade bait – didn’t work.
Tebow is a 2pt specialist NOT a starting caliber QB and Sanchez is Sanchez. There’s plenty of reason to worry. Though worrying isn’t going to change the ultimate outcome.
Mariota was not Chip’s Guy after all.. If he truly was, don’t you think he would have done whatever it took to get him.. I never truly thought that Kelly was enamored with Mariota to the point of mortgaging the Future and to go all in to obtain him… Yes, Marcus Mariota was a Great College QB for Kelly and Oregon but I believe Kelly knows it takes a lot more than a fast-up-tempo scheme that works in College than it does to win at the NFL Level
The long and short of it is this – If Sam Bradford is not the Eagles franchise quarterback starting this season and for a number of years to come, then Kelly is just wasting time and money…
It’s Kelly’s job to win a title and if he is not confident that he can do it with Sam Bradford then he should not have wasted a second round pick and $12.98 million on him.
Mark Sanchez getting $5.5 million – if he is our starter this year then Kelly pissed away a second round pick and $12.98 million… plain and simple.
all eggs in the sam basket…agreed… ugh!
Bradford is as quiet as a church mouse, but his arm not only excites Chip Kelly it also excites the receivers and other players on the team. They all talk about the way this guy can get the ball to the receivers. He’s definitely not a loud guy, but I’ve seen quarterbacks play with passion despite not being loud and outgoing.
I’m not sure whether he has the fight and passion in him or not. We will find out relatively soon. He must first of all battle back to health, then we’ll see if he can stand in the pocket and deliver the football with the money on the line.
G- with the eagles not huddling and being all business at the line with important communication being handled by position coaches etc. Does his lack of RAH RAH stuff come into play? I was always under the impression that RAH RAH
guys were ‘fired up in the huddle’ ‘barking out orders in the huddle’ types..
Gcobb, is Marcus Mariota a guy that is vocal and outspoken? I think not. Bradford and Mariota seem both similar in regards to manurism. I’m not concerned about that so much, it’s the health part that is the real issue
G have you spoken to marcus smith do you think the kid has the toughness to play at this level because I hate to see a first rd pick wasted
Byron maxwell just guaranteed that the Eagles will make it to the SB this year. Now isn’t that just wonderful..
Las Vegas just lowered the Chances of Eagles Winning the Super Bowl from
25-1 to 50-1 after Maxwell’s Comments…
When Rollins was telling the Mets and the rest of the NL East that we were the team to beat, the he was a veteran with the team and the Phils were trending upwards.
I’m all about Maxwell coming in and thinking positive thoughts, just wish he would have kept them inside, used them as fuel to help an Eagles secondary that was, well…. awful in 2014.
Bad Comparison Jeff,
Phillies and Rollins hadn’t Won shit yet when J-Roll made that bold statement
it was only after getting his long-term deal did he cower to everyone and simply went thru the motions for the remainder of his Career
Maxwell has already won and been a part of 2 Stud Defensive Teams back to back and now has cashed in with his huge Free-Agent Deal
This Eagles Secondary has been awful since about 2009/2010 so it’s a whole new beginning for all the Players and New Secondary Coach
Paul, you should take up drinking again…jimmy was a young but established part of the nucleus.
Yes he was the Leader of the young Phils and vital part of their Success but then got complacent and too comfortable after his first big Contract… He still had a Nice Career, but could have had a Great Career
Between the time he made that statement and the end of his Phil’s career… Let’s see, MVP, WS and 5 division champs… Yes that’s complacent …you are an idiot
Add to that 4 fold gloves, a silver slugger and a bunch of RBI, stolen bases, runs scored… Complacent…fucking retard paul
I can only imagine what a motivated player would have done …wow!
Bradford said it was an adjustment going from the way the Rams were rehabbing him to how the Eagles are, when he does get back on the field his leg isn’t going to be a problem, Eagles are also bringing in Chris Chester the RG just released from the Skins in for a visit, he’s visiting the Falcons first, they say he’s a perfect fit for our system, let’s see what happens.
Chester not a bad Pick-up and will slide to RG, while Barbre/Tobin Take Reps at LG to replace Mathis who is likely a goner ..
What about T Doug Free? Maybe slide Free into the G spot?
When did they cut him? I don’t remember hearing he was available, as for Chester, him visiting Atlanta first might hurt us, Kyle Shannahan is the OC there n coached him when he was with the Skins.
1. Chip The Coach preaches competition at every spot and he Means it.
2. Chip The GM Believes Bradford will beat out the competition or he would not have traded for him.
3. Chip The GM can leverage Sanchez against Bradford’s agent – NEVER EVER EVER NEGOTIATE FROM A POSITION OF WEAKNESS! Find a way to make your weakness apear as a strength (OPEN QB COMP.)
4. Chip the coach will use competition to motivate Sam to work hard to prove himself and in challenging himself will build confidence lost ver past few years.
5. Chip the Coach knows that you can not hide Talent from Talent and the other guys will gravitate to the best player.
Regal Lest we forget ..1. Chip the GM traded for Sam ,assuming he’d have value on draft day …2. Chip the GM is counting not only on Mark Sanchez to help in his negotiation to rework SAMs deal ,but to motivate Sam..excuse me butMark Sanchez will have enough trouble on his own .let alone lighting fires under others …
I disagree. Sam was brought in because Chip knew he would likely not get Mariota not as a trade chip. chip knew Sam has a higher upside than Foles. I was a foles guy but Sam is an upgrade.
Sanchez is just good enough to aid chip by saying he is not desperate to have Sam. (As a fan I pray Bradford gets and stays healthy as Sanchez is not the answer)
Sanchez is good enough to give Sam a benchmark to show himself against.
So much for Chris Chester…he signed with the Falcons
Disappointing, I was excited that the Eagles were planning on working him out. It will be interesting to see how the Mathis thing works out.