Write it down - and remember where you heard it.
The Eagles will win the NFC East - and a playoff game - next year with Sam Bradford as their starting quarterback.
Yesterday the Birds finally came to terms with Bradford. It's a two-year deal worth about $40 million, with $26 million of that guaranteed. Beat writer Bob Grotz has all the details here.
Neither side seemed all that enthused by the deal. They kind of settled on each other, with neither having much else in the way of options or better offers.
Then, of course, talk radio chimed in. I spent nearly my entire ride into work this morning cursing the overnight show on WIP as the host denigrated the deal - and most of the callers agreed.
I don't know why everyone in Philly hates Sam Bradford so much.
Let me pose a trivia question. How many No. 1 picks - not just "a" No. 1 pick, but "the" No. 1 overall pick in the draft - have played quarterback for the Eagles? I believe the answer to that question is one: Sam Bradford. The Birds selected Frank Tripucka back in 1949 with the No. 9 pick in the draft, and of course used the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to take Donovan McNabb. That worked out pretty well.
Bradford sparked high hopes with that scintillating performance against the Packers last preseason, then unfortunately struggled mightily at the start of the season as he came to grips with the limits of Chip Kelly's offense, one I might remind you that almost never put him under center to make the best use of running backs such as DeMarco Murray, and also barred Bradford from calling any audibles at the line of scrimmage, something almost unheard of in the NFL.
Bradford also missed a couple of games with a concussion and shoulder problem. But his knees - the big worry as he came off consecutive season-ending ACL injuries - were fine.
I know no one wants to admit it, so I will. For the last seven weeks of the season, Bradford was playing as well as any other QB in the league.
He ended up starting 14 games and threw for a career-high 3,725 yards. That just happens to be the fourth-highest passing totals in Eagles team history. He completed 346 balls, despite a receiving corps that seemed intent on dropping every third pass. His 65.03 completion percentage set a team record.
No, he didn't throw a lot of deep balls, or even passes longer than 15 yards, but I'm not sure that's not more a facet of Kelly's offense than an indictment of Bradford's arm.
The guy has all the tools to be a franchise QB.
And I for one think that's what happens next year as Bradford takes the helm with a West Coast offense implemented by new head coach Doug Pederson.
Just remember where you heard it?
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