Sam Bradford is not worth $25 million per year. That doesn't mean he's not going to get paid close to that.
Bradford's agent, Tom Condon, asked for a contract worth $25 million per year before the 2015 season started from the Eagles, ESPN's Jim Trotter said, via The Big Lead.
Sam Bradford Could Be Chip Kelly's Secret Weapon In San Fran
Then-Eagles coach Chip Kelly pushed back negotiations, and despite Bradford's so-so 2016, he enters free agency in a perfect storm of sorts.
The Philadelphia quarterback obviously wants to usher in the Doug Pederson coaching era on the right track, and Bradford gives the team the best chance to win of any quarterback available.
Chip Kelly Exit From Philly Puts L.A. Rams In Play For Sam Bradford
He's a good fit with Pederson's West Coast style, Trotter says, and the crop of top-tier college quarterbacks -- consisting of Cal's Jared Goff, Memphis' Paxton Lynch or North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, according to csnphilly.com -- isn't nearly as attractive as the Jameis Winston-Marcus Mariota tandem of a year ago.
That could persuade the Eagles to put the franchise tag on Bradford, which could be in the neighborhood of $20 million, csnphilly.com adds. If the Eagles decide not to do that, Bradford's free agency could be worth more than $70 million for a multi-year deal.
Kelly's presence in San Francisco will add to Bradford's bargaining power. Kelly refused to comment on Colin Kaepernick's status with the 49ers, according to Pro Football Talk, and Bradford would be a viable option with arguably a better wide receiver tandem in Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin than he has with the Eagles in Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor.
Plus, Bradford really started to produce in the second half of the 2015 season as he became more comfortable with Kelly's system, and really would benefit from staying with the same scheme.
Then again, a team such as the Texans, who are playoff ready but need an upgrade over Brian Hoyer, might be willing to spend a few extra bucks on the best of the free-agent heap as it stands right now. Bradford's latest work is better than that of Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III or Johnny Manziel.
In fact, the Browns, who were rumored to be in talks last offseason with Kelly about a swap between Bradford and Manziel, could seek out Bradford to go along with a promising defense, and that could drive Bradford's asking price up.
Even the Rams, who sent Bradford to the Eagles in a trade for Nick Foles, presents some familiarity for Bradford.
Those factors could put Bradford in a multi-year deal close to those of the Bears' Jay Cutler ($18 million per season) or the Lions' Matthew Stafford ($17.67 million) -- salaries based on figures from overthecap.com.
If Bradford is offered a four-year deal, the price would be north of $70 million.
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