Ford: Do Eagles have Bradford cornered?

The Eagles, who say they consider Sam Bradford "Plan A" for the 2016 season and beyond, have two days to either apply a franchise tag on the quarterback or opt to pursue him in a free-agent signing that might be less expensive but is also less certain.

Amid a great deal of wistful sighs, both Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman, the coach and personnel boss of the team, stated their wish to keep Bradford last week but acknowledged that it might not be easy, owing mostly to the previous holder of those two positions, some guy named Chip.

They didn't have to come out and say it, but the quarterback situation is kind of a mess because Chip Kelly didn't get a long-term contract with Bradford before last season and because he smashed the salary cap piggy bank and didn't leave much wiggle room for the coming season.

Poor, poor Eagles.

So, the message they sent out through the airwaves to Bradford and his agent, Tom Condon, was that Sam will be welcome with open arms but not necessarily an open wallet. Hope it works out, but if not, it's all Chip's fault, and we're on to "Plan B."

For his part, Pederson has done everything but adopt free-agent quarterback Chase Daniel, who was the backup during Pederson's three seasons as offensive coordinator at Kansas City. Maybe he's just helping a guy he likes find a job. Maybe he's making clear that someone will be the starting quarterback for the Eagles, and if it isn't Bradford, life will continue.

In some ways, this is brilliant negotiation positioning and could lead to the first major coup of Roseman v2.0. To get that outcome, they are counting on some things they believe to be true. One is that Bradford really wants to be here, playing a traditional role in a traditional offense under Pederson and coordinator Frank Reich. Another is that the $78 million he has already earned in the NFL leaves him less avaricious now. Most important, however, is the belief that Bradford really doesn't have very good options elsewhere.

Roseman is every bit as good at understanding the NFL landscape and how it works as Kelly was bad at it. He can look at the league from Bradford's perspective and figure out who might be the Eagles' rivals to land the quarterback. The list isn't very long.

Where would Bradford find a situation that offers a better combination of opportunity and compensation? Let's take a look. Among teams with significant salary-cap room, there are three with a seriously jumbled quarterback situation: the Rams, the 49ers, and the Browns. The Rams have clearly had their Sam Bradford moment already. It seems wildly unlikely Bradford would sign on willingly for another chance to get killed in a Chip Kelly offense. And, well, the Browns.

Among the teams with tighter caps, there isn't much there, either, and a lot less money. The most likely to look for a fresh start at quarterback would be Houston, which had four starters last season, the law firm of Hoyer, Mallett, Yates & Weeden. The buzz is that the Texans are going to find a quarterback in the draft, but does Bill O'Brien really want to waste a great defense for another two years? If not, Houston could be a reasonable landing site for Bradford. Would it be better than Philadelphia? Eh.

There are other teams doing this same dance at the moment, including Denver with Brock Osweiler, Washington with Kirk Cousins, and the New York Jets with Ryan Fitzpatrick. It's possible one of those negotiations could break down and Bradford would have another suitor, but that isn't likely right now.

What the Bradford negotiating team will do is spin around the argument and examine what options the Eagles have without him. The team could draft a quarterback and change 2016 into a rebuilding year. It could choose someone else from the free-agent pool, which is brimming with guys such as Matt Cassel, Drew Stanton, and Matt Schaub.

The Eagles could also decide, at Pederson's urging, that Daniel is not only a legitimate Plan B but perhaps an uncut diamond in the league. Daniel has thrown 77 passes in six seasons, with 57 of those coming in the two starts he was given, both in end-of-season games with playoff positioning not a factor. He's barely six feet tall, was a spread quarterback in college, and wasn't drafted. Hard to get excited.

You look at this thing from both sides of the table, and it seems apparent that Bradford needs the Eagles as much as the Eagles need Bradford. Maybe it is a marriage of convenience or maybe a marriage of pragmatism, but it is a marriage.

The Eagles know this, and see the mutual compatibility as a way to hold down costs at the reception. No prime rib. The chicken will be fine. Beer and wine only. Cash bar otherwise. Roses on the tables? Thinking more like daisies.

Not entirely to your liking, Sam? Blame Chip, not us.

bford@phillynews.com

@bobfordsports

www.philly.com/

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