The Philadelphia Eagles have no intention of rushing their decision on Sam Bradford and the future of the quarterback position. Team vice president Howie Roseman told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Eagles have some time to figure things out as they are likely deciding between a long-term contract for Bradford or using their first-round draft pick to acquire a rookie. The quarterback decision could shape the outlook of the 2016 season and lost in the shuffle is Mark Sanchez who is an option to start.
Forgotten in all of the talk around Bradford is Sanchez sitting in the backup position. Do the Eagles want Sanchez as their starter in 2016? No. Could Sanchez be their starter in 2016? Yes. There is a small, very small, case to giving the backup a chance to play despite not seeing the field all last season. Sanchez is still under contract with the Eagles and available when needed. The only case to give Sanchez the start Week 1 is if the Eagles were to draft a rookie over re-signing Bradford.
According to NJ.com, the Eagles have met with Carson Wentz who has seen his draft stock hit an all-time high during Senior Bowl practices. They are also expected to take a good look at Jared Goff and Paxton Lynch. All three quarterbacks represent the best at the position this year, but all three quarterbacks come with a lot of concern. According to Todd McShay of ESPN.com, none of the quarterbacks this year are home run hits and ready to take over a franchise. The Eagles could be looking down the road and could draft someone like Wentz while using Sanchez as a stop-gap option for the year. Is it the favored move of fans of the franchise? No, but it could set the Eagles up for success down the road.
Head coach Doug Pederson has made it clear that he would like Bradford back with the team. According to the coach, Bradford would work perfectly in his offensive system, but contract demands might for the Eagles down another path. Pederson believes Bradford wants to come back to the team next year, but he is not sure the feeling is mututal.
Yeah he'd love to be back," Pederson said, via NJ,com. "That's a thing we have to continue to look at. I think he is a kid that would definitely fit the kind of offensive structure that I'll bring. Sam and I had a great conversation a few days ago. I look forward to working with him. It's just something where we will continue to evaluate. We'll pull that trigger one way or another when the time comes."
Sanchez is not an elite quarterback, but neither was Bradford last season. The Eagles have a lot of offensive weapons that can really take the pressure off whoever is under center next year. There is a good chance that quarterback could be Sanchez with a rookie developing behind him.
