Philadelphia Eagles

5 Takeaways From Vikings and Eagles Following Sam Bradford Trade

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

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Aug 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) reacts with running back Ryan Mathews (24) after his touchdown run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

After the surprise Sam Bradford trade, here are five takeaways between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles

In what will go down as one of the most discussed topics heading into Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings pulled off a surprise trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire quarterback Sam Bradford.

With Teddy Bridgewater out for the entire 2016 season due to a torn ACL and dislocated knee, the Vikings found themselves in an unimaginable position heading into the final week of preseason that no team ever wants to be part of. Minnesota emerged as a surprise contender in the NFC last season and after winning the NFC North title thanks to their stellar defense, expectations were high for this team once again.

Obviously, Bridgewater’s injury was a major blow to Minnesota’s chances. But the acquisition of Bradford should put this team back on the right track to be contenders.

As crazy and surprising as this deal seems, the Vikings knew trading for Bradford was a move they had to make to keep up with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. With Bradford’s time in Philadelphia coming to an end now that he’s joining Minnesota, here are five takeaways from both teams with the trade.

Aug 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) on the sideline against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 17-9. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

5. Bradford Makes Vikings Strong Contenders Again

Bridgewater may not have been the type of quarterback who puts up monster numbers on a weekly basis, but he was always an amazing game manager and the Vikings know making the new adjustments on offense won’t be easy. Now that Bradford is on board, Minnesota has a much better chance of repeating as champions in the NFC North.

Thanks to Mike Zimmer, the Vikings’ defense has emerged as one of the best in football over the last couple of seasons. And there’s every reason to believe that will be the case once again in 2016. As far as the offense goes, the team was already in fantastic position at running back with Adrian Peterson—who rushed for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

Bradford has looked sharp at times for the Eagles throughout preseason and it may take a little time to adjusting to a new offense. However, this was a great move by Minnesota when it comes to having a better shot at defending their division title.

Sep 1, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel (10) during a game against the New York Jets at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

4. Eagles Now All Inexperience at Quarterback

After moving up in the 2016 NFL Draft to acquire Carson Wentz, the Eagles knew it would only be a matter of time before the team would end up moving on from Bradford. No team surrenders future first-round picks to acquire a quarterback unless they plan on using him as soon as possible. With Bradford out, it looked like Chase Daniel would finally getting the opportunity to prove what he’s capable of as a starter. However, it seems now as if it’s Wentz’s job for the taking

Wentz, as stated, is the No. 2 pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. Daniel, on the other hand, followed Doug Pederson over from the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason and signed a hefty three-year deal for $21 million to be a backup for Philadelphia. The plan was for these two guys to be the backups for the Eagles. However, that’s obviously changed now. They’ll both be thrust into a much larger position with Wentz likely taking first-string duties.

It’s crazy to think how quickly things can change in the NFL as nobody could have predicted a quarterback with two career starts like Daniel or a rookie needing development like Wentz would be Philadelphia’s starter heading into Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. Yet here we are thanks to this shocking Bradford trade.

Aug 18, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of their game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

3. No Guarantee Bradford Stays in Long Run

If there’s anything to take away from what the Vikings were willing to give up to acquire Bradford, it would be this team knows where they stand in the NFC heading into Week 1 as strong contenders.

Minnesota wouldn’t have made this trade if they didn’t believe they were capable of being one of the top contenders in the NFL and if they didn’t think that they can win now instead of taking a step back with the loss of Bridgewater. While Shaun Hill seemed like the best option a few days ago, the veteran quarterback is nowhere close to the talent level of Bradford.

Of course, the only thing Minnesota will have to worry about down the road is what happens if Bradford succeeds and Bridgewater makes a full recovery. Bradford only signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia in the offseason and if he does end up being a much better option at quarterback over Bridgewater, there’s no guarantee the former No. 1 pick will even want to stick around two years from now.

Luckily, the Vikings seem fine with worrying about that problem when it comes up down the road and focusing on the current season.

Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer questions a call during the game against the San Diego Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

2. Eagles Get Back a First-Rounder, Vikings Show Concern

Philadelphia has taken plenty of criticism over the last couple of months for giving up their 2017 first-round pick to draft Wentz. After the Bradford trade, it’s safe to say it all seemed to work out just fine for the Eagles since the team is getting a first-round pick back from the Vikings.

While the pick may not be as high as it would have originally been, Howie Roseman deserves all of the credit in the world for pulling off a move like this one. A majority of NFL teams would never even consider giving up a first-round pick to acquire a quarterback like Bradford, but Roseman found a way to make it happen.

By giving up their first-round pick in 2017, it shows how much the Vikings are concerned over Bridgewater being ready to go at this time next year. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Bridgewater’s recovery process isn’t going to be an easy one, but at least Minnesota was willing to make a bold move in giving up a big draft pick to stay in strong contention in the NFC.

Sep 1, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on the sidelines against the New York Jets at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Jets, 14-6. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

1. Philadelphia’s Offense Takes a Step Back

By getting rid of just about all of Chip Kelly’s players in the offseason and bringing on Pederson as the new head coach, all signs pointed to the Eagles going through a rebuilding year in 2016 when it comes to being contenders. While this team will still have a decent shot at competing in the NFC East, the Bradford trade certainly made this team take a step back in the wrong direction.

Bradford gave the Eagles their best chance at competing on offense and now that he’s going to be under center as a member of the Vikings, Philadelphia will rely on Wentz (and Daniel) to start the season. If Wentz struggles as a rookie, you have to wonder how long it’d be until they went to Daniel—or if they would at all.

Either way, it’s tough to see this Eagles’ offense as an elite squad in 2016 with Bradford out of the picture. For a team with a weak receiving corps, one can only imagine how fans will react to this offense now that Bradford is no longer suiting up in Philadelphia.