Rams, Eagles complete stunning trade
PHILADELPHIA, PA (The Spread) – In what can only be described as a stunner, the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams on Tuesday in exchange for Nick Foles.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles have acquired Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams in exchange for Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick. If Bradford starts less than 50 percent of his games this season, Philadelphia will also receive a 2016 fourth-round pick. If he’s injured and doesn’t play at all, the Eagles will net a 2016 third-rounder.
Bradford is coming off back-to-back ACL surgeries and was set to count over $16.5 million against the salary cap in 2016, so this move makes plenty of sense for the Rams. He apparently was resistant to take a pay cut and with few options on both the free agent market and in the draft, it was a no-brainer for St. Louis to trade Bradford instead of rolling the dice that he’ll be healthy in 2016. Now the Eagles and head coach Chip Kelly must hope that Bradford stays healthy or else this deal could badly blow up in their face.
Foles, meanwhile, had a fantastic season in 2013 but slumped badly in 2014 before suffering a shoulder injury that limited him to only eight games. He still has plenty to prove at age 26 but he was worth the gamble for a Rams team that has had to watch Shaun Hill, Austin Davis and Kellen Clemens draw the majority of the starts under center the past two seasons.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Rams were 40/1 long shots to win the Super Bowl before the start of free agency, while the Eagles were 25/1 following the trade of LeSean McCoy to Buffalo. These odds will certainly be updated once the free agency period settles down.
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