Philadelphia Eagles

5 reasons Sam Bradford trade was brilliant for Minnesota Vikings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Minnesota Vikings have traded for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford. Here are five reasons Bradford is worth the two picks he was traded for.

The Minnesota Vikings needed to upgrade their starting quarterback position now that franchise quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be out for the season with a dislocated knee and torn ACL. Minnesota shocked the NFL world on Saturday morning by trading for Philadelphia Eagles starter Sam Bradford.

Minnesota had to give up its 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick to land the former No. 1 overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2010 NFL Draft. Bradford shined in college for the Oklahoma Sooners, winning the 2008 Heisman Trophy.

Bradford has not lived up to lofty expectations in his six years in the NFL with two teams. He spent his first five seasons with the Rams in St. Louis. In 2015, he was traded to the Eagles for Nick Foles to run Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense.

Bradford is more than capable of game-managing at the quarterback position for the Vikings this fall. Here are five reasons that he was worth the two picks the Vikings gave up to land him in early September.

Oct 6, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) looks to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars at The Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

5. Playing in a dome once again

One aspect of the 2016 Vikings season that can’t be overlooked is that they will play eight home games in a dome. The Vikings get to play in brand-new US Bank Stadium after two years of sharing TCF Bank Stadium with the Big Ten’s Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Not only do the Vikings get back to playing in their ideal home environment, Bradford will get back to playing in a dome in 2016. Bradford’s spent his first five years in the league playing at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. He had to play outside at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in 2015.

This helps Bradford and the Vikings significantly. He doesn’t have elite arm strength to cut through harsh midwestern winds with great regularity. Playing in a 70 degrees indoor environment will camouflage Bradford’s mediocre arm strength.

Using US Bank Stadium to their advantage, the crowd noise is amplified indoors, aiding the home team in rushing the football and stopping the opponent’s ground game.

It’s not a huge factor in why the Vikings traded for Bradford, but it should aid him in being able to throw for well over 3,000 yards through the air this fall for Minnesota. Run opens up the pass and Bradford will need that to be successful in Minnesota.

September 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner exits the team tunnel before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

4. Norv Turner offense

Bradford has been asked to play in varying offenses in his NFL career. Brian Schottenheimer’s game plan in St. Louis featured a West Coast attack reliant on tight end play. Chip Kelly was all about pace and going no-huddle. Doug Pederson is cut from the same conservative play calling cloth of Andy Reid.

So Bradford has played in three different offenses the last two seasons. Why wouldn’t be able to figure out a fourth? By joining the Vikings, he’ll be thrown into an archaic pro-style offense from yesteryear under Minnesota offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

Turner will ask Bradford to use the run to open up the pass. Though seeing Bradford have to execute five and seven-step drops is a complete departure from the spread he ran under Kelly in Philadelphia, there’s a strong belief he’ll pick up Turner’s offense quickly.

It’s not as nuanced as some of the three wide receiver sets we see in most NFL offenses. The throwback feel to Turner’s play calling could provide Bradford with a strong framework to succeed under center for the Vikings. He’s probably seen most of these offensive concepts before in his time playing quarterback at any level.

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jhurell Pressley (42) celebrates his touchdown in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

3. Picks will be worth it if the Vikings win

Yes, giving up a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 fourth-round pick for what seems to be one year of Bradford under center may be a little steep, but if the Vikings are able to make the NFC Playoffs sans Bridgewater, then it’s all worth it.

Minnesota had a top 10 roster in the NFL entering 2016 NFL training camp. The Vikings have a top five defense and a top five running game. It wasn’t Bridgewater’s play that made them a viable Super Bowl LI contender, it was his on-field leadership.

Likely the Vikings aren’t going to ask Bradford to do more than be a game manager this season or at least until he masters Turner’s offense. The Vikings don’t need him to carry the offensive burden this fall. They already have Peterson and a terrific defense.

The Vikings are too talented in 2016 to not entertain a gamble like Bradford to see if they can’t push for a deep NFC Playoffs run. It’s a high risk, high reward move for the Vikings front office. With that 2017 first-round pick being in the teens or lower, it’s the price to pay for temporary stability at the quarterback position. Win and it’s worth it.

Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball during the first quarter against the New York Giants at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

2. Adrian Peterson

The best thing Bradford has going for him in the Vikings offense is obvious: fellow Sooner Adrian Peterson. They were teammates at Oklahoma when Peterson was a junior and Bradford was a freshman.

Peterson would leave Norman after the 2006 NCAA season en route to being the Vikings’ No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Bradford would win the Heisman Trophy his sophomore season in 2008 and went No. 1 overall to the Rams in 2010.

Bradford leaned on DeMarco Murray in the Sooners backfield in undergrad, but getting the chance to hand the football off to Peterson has to have Bradford excited about joining the Vikings. Even in his early 30s, Peterson remains one of the best running backs in the game today. He has a chance to finish as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher before he retires.

The Vikings’ offense has been built around Peterson since 2007 and 2016 will be no different. Sure, Turner will be a bit more careful about the usage of his bell-cow back, but he again will do the heavy lifting for the Vikings.

The best thing a quarterback can gain in terms of confidence is having a great running back to keep defenses honest. Bradford will essentially a better version of what he had in St. Louis with Steven Jackson in Peterson. Peterson will bring out the best in Bradford this fall.

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings walks out on the field prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on November 29, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

1. Mike Zimmer defense

For the 2016 Vikings to play for a Super Bowl, they will have to rely on their strong defensive personnel of head coach Mike Zimmer. Defense wins championships and the Vikings should have one of the very best in football this winter.

This helps Bradford exponentially, as he will rarely play from behind should the Vikings defense live up to lofty expectations. It will allow him to play a freer form of quarterback, something hasn’t been able to do since college. Neither the Rams or the Eagles were anything close to playoff caliber when Bradford played for them.

The Vikings don’t need Bradford to throw for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns a week. They’ll just need him to mitigate turnovers and convert the occasional third and long when handing the rock off to Peterson isn’t logical.

Bradford is good enough to win games as a complimentary piece of an NFL team. He’ll be exactly that with the 2016 Vikings. It’s a big gamble for the Vikings to trade for a so-so starting quarterback in Bradford, but with nothing left to lose on either side, this could be the front office move that gets the Vikings to the Super Bowl for the first time since the Bud Grant era in Minneapolis.