About a month ago, Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians spoke on a conference call to Philadelphia reporters about how a head coach is inherently tied to his quarterback.
In 2013, Arians got a chance to tie himself to Carson Palmer, and now the Cardinals are about to play for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
So it’s an important decision.
Now, it’s unclear how much personnel power — if any — new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson will be given. But at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Pederson was asked about soon-to-be free agent quarterback Sam Bradford.
“I think Sam's a quality quarterback; I think he's a top-notch quarterback,” Pederson said. “Look what he did the last half of the season and the numbers that he was able to put up.
“I feel like he's an individual, he's a quarterback that would fit perfectly into a system that I'm going to bring.”
While Bradford had an up-and-down season for the Eagles in 2015, he ended on a high note. Bradford played 14 games and improved significantly in the second half.
NFL
In his first seven games, he completed 62 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions while averaging 252 yards per game. In his final seven, he completed 68 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging 280 yards per game.
Overall, Bradford passed for 3,725 yards, good for the fourth-best passing season in Eagles history.
And Pederson thinks Bradford could thrive in his system.
Now, it’s just a matter of getting Bradford back next season. Bradford’s agent reportedly wanted $25 million per season before last year, so the price tag likely will be expensive if he hits the open market. The Eagles could also slap a franchise tag on him, which would give him a high-priced one-year deal with the cap hit to match (likely around $20 million).
Or they could let Bradford walk, which still remains a possibility.
But if they do let him walk, the Eagles will be letting someone who Pederson said will fit his system get away.
“I think Sam, he's got all the tools, there's no question,” Pederson said. “There's no denying that. Got good size, got a great arm, good mind for the game, and it's just a matter of now just plugging him in and cutting him loose and utilizing those strengths in this system.”