Sam Bradford is expected to be the top quarterback on the free agent market this offseason. Bradford may return to the Philadelphia Eagles after being acquired in a trade last year, but if not, teams like the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and NY Jets could be potential landing spots.
Bradford is coming off of a solid season with the Eagles and while he did not put up crazy stats, he proved that he could stay healthy after dealing with serious knee issues in the past. Bradford played in 14 games for the Eagles and finished the season with 19 touchdowns while competing 65 percent of his passes. Bradford had some issues with turnovers with 17 total giveaways in 2015, but he played well and had the Eagles in the playoff hunt for most of the season.
Bradford is expected to be the top free agent option at quarterback, as many around the league expect players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler and Kirk Cousins to remain with their current teams. The Eagles remain an option for Bradford even with Chip Kelly gone, as head coach Doug Pederson has praised Bradford and said the team is interested in bringing him back. There have been reports that the team will not use the franchise tag on Bradford, which could set him up to hit the open market.
If Bradford leaves the Eagles, he should have plenty of suitors this offseason, as a number of teams are likely looking for a new starter for 2016. Pro Football Focus put together a list of the possible destinations for Bradford this winter, including the 49ers, Browns, Texans, Jets and Eagles. PFF writes that the Eagles likely will at least try and keep Bradford, as the team gave up compensation for him last year and may not want to let him walk easily. Bradford could be a good fit for Doug Pederson's offense and that could lead the Eagles to try and retain the quarterback.
The 49ers could be a landing spot for Bradford after Chip Kelly traded for the quarterback while he was with the Eagles. The team may not be fully prepared to stick with Colin Kaepernick and the Niners have a ton of cap space and could afford to sign Bradford to a contract. The Browns are moving on from Johnny Manziel and while they could draft a quarterback, the team also could look at adding Bradford to the mix. The Jets could be a fit if they don't retain Fitzpatrick, while the Texans are looking for more consistency after using four different starters last season.