5 reasons Sam Bradford trade was brilliant for Minnesota Vikings
By John Buhler
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.
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.
Next: 4. Norv Turner offense