The Philadelphia Eagles got their man. After firing Chip Kelly as head coach, the Eagles were one of the last teams to hire a head coach as Doug Pederson will move on from Kansas City and take over the franchise once the team is finished with their season. The Eagles officially announced the hire on Thursday and now the real work begins as bringing back Sam Bradford is a top priority for the Eagles.
Philadelphia announced the hiring of Pederson who has been the Chiefs' offensive coordinator. Nothing has been made official considering Kansas City is still in the playoffs and preparing for a game against the Patriots, but ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms the hiring. Pederson certainly has a lot of work ahead of them. The Eagles have talent on the roster, but they simply have not been able to put it all together. Offense will be a priority for the coach and Sam Bradford is the focus of that.
According to Jeff McLane of Philly.com, Bradford is no lock to return to the Eagles. The quarterback has an agent that will try to get him the most money possible while fit and scheme will play a large role in where he opts to sign. Many would have to think that the hiring of Pederson should be very enticing to Bradford considering what he has done with Alex Smith in Kansas City, but again, it is no lock.
Spotrac.com reports a contract for Bradford could be worth $18.7 million per season. That would make him the 12th highest-paid quarterback in the league. Bradford has not yet won over the Philly faithful. The quarterback failed to thrive in Kelly's offensive system. He certainly did prove he can stay healthy which is a positive. The Eagles really cannot afford to let Bradford go. The draft market is weak. Robert Griffin III is not going to lead this team in 2016. Bradford is the best option and considering they gave up a 2016 second-round pick to get him, bringing him back is the best idea.
The Eagles will have some salary cap casualties as Pederson will have to determine who stays and who goes. One of the first players out is expected to be Riley Cooper. According to ESPN's Phil Sheridan, the Eagles will move forward with Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz as their main receiving threats. Cooper had a major drop off in 2015 and is no longer worth his contract.
There could be a tough decision with Darren Sproles. The running back is entering the final year of his contract. He struggled like the rest of the running backs with the rotation in 2015. However, his versatility on the field in both the offense and on special teams is a real asset for the Eagles. Pederson will have some tough calls to make.
