Why the Vikings didn't overpay for Sam Bradford...

[PnkPanther]

I bet you doubted you would trade away your #1 for Sam Bradford before that was done, too.

It's not like Vikings have a long history of trading away draft picks.


Vikings felt they had a championship defense. They were a chip shot FG away from advancing last year and decided to go all in. They lost their starting QB 8 days prior to season starting and hadn't properly addressed the back up. The 5-0 start justified their boldness initially but other injuries started piling up.


We have a lot of young talent. I think they have they can get the OL fixed and run game going, they'll be fine. They have cap room, draft picks, to accomplish that.

Jesus, people act like they gave up 5 high draft picks

 

[fordman84]

It's not like Vikings have a long history of trading away draft picks.


Vikings felt they had a championship defense. They were a chip shot FG away from advancing last year and decided to go all in. They lost their starting QB 8 days prior to season starting and hadn't properly addressed the back up. The 5-0 start justified their boldness initially but other injuries started piling up.


We have a lot of young talent. I think they have they can get the OL fixed and run game going, they'll be fine. They have cap room, draft picks, to accomplish that.

Jesus, people act like they gave up 5 high draft picks

You are correct, the volume wasn't high. But they gave up a solid 1st rounder for a guy that didn't deserve that high of a pick.

 

[PhillyGreen]

Jesus, people act like they gave up 5 high draft picks

I don't think that is the case here. A first round pick is a lot to give up for any player. The thread was started by someone saying the Vikings did not overpay for him. Many disagreed with that assessment. I do not think Bradford is worth a #1 pick at any stage of the round. As of right now the Pick the Eagles will get will be #17. It it could go up or could go down. Depends on how the Vikings finish he season.

The draft is a crapshoot. Trades could blow up in your face. The Eagles gave up the farm just to get Wentz but it appears he is the real deal. We shall see. But for Sam Bradford a player who is injury prone and does not factor into Viking long term plans a first round pick is an awful lot to give up.

 

[PnkPanther]

You are correct, the volume wasn't high. But they gave up a solid 1st rounder for a guy that didn't deserve that high of a pick.

Well, their expectation was the first rounder would be a late first rounder. They gambled, and so far lost. I'm ok with it.

And I'm done. Jesus. First rounders bust too.

Bradford hasn't been the vikings problem. No one expected him to carry the team, he was supposed to supplement AP, and our run game and OL are awful.

 

[PnkPanther]

I don't think that is the case here. A first round pick is a lot to give up for any player. The thread was started by someone saying the Vikings did not overpay for him. Many disagreed with that assessment. I do not think Bradford is worth a #1 pick at any stage of the round. As of right now the Pick the Eagles will get will be #17. It it could go up or could go down. Depends on how the Vikings finish he season.

The draft is a crapshoot. Trades could blow up in your face. The Eagles gave up the farm just to get Wentz but it appears he is the real deal. We shall see. But for Sam Bradford a player who is injury prone and does not factor into Viking long term plans a first round pick is an awful lot to give up.

And I still have no problem with the trade.

 

[PnkPanther]

You guys should really be GM's

 

[PhillyGreen]

You guys should really be GM's

Most of us would get fired after the first draft.

 

[Clayton]

Most of us would get fired after the first draft.

Maybe. I have a had habit of whiffing on all of my late round mocks lately.

That 2016 Vikings draft is like Millen bad though.

 

[jarntt]

It's not like Vikings have a long history of trading away draft picks.


Vikings felt they had a championship defense. They were a chip shot FG away from advancing last year and decided to go all in. They lost their starting QB 8 days prior to season starting and hadn't properly addressed the back up. The 5-0 start justified their boldness initially but other injuries started piling up.


We have a lot of young talent. I think they have they can get the OL fixed and run game going, they'll be fine. They have cap room, draft picks, to accomplish that.

Jesus, people act like they gave up 5 high draft picks

I'm torn between whether I think the trade was more based on how delusional they were about their team or how much they panicked after the injury...

 

[Moab]

Are you attempting to prove you don't know shit about the NFL? The Vikings are 1 game out of the playoff picture and were just 12 offensive line penalties away from beating the best team in football.

Did you even know the Rams play in LA now?? Holy fuck, you are really fucking stupid.

Did you just call somebody stupid?

 

[fordman84]

Well, their expectation was the first rounder would be a late first rounder. They gambled, and so far lost. I'm ok with it.

And I'm done. Jesus. First rounders bust too.

Bradford hasn't been the vikings problem. No one expected him to carry the team, he was supposed to supplement AP, and our run game and OL are awful.

Sure hasn't been the problem, but he made it worse. Now they don't get the 16th or 17th best rated player next year, instead they will get the 50th or so. Not a good way to fix the issues they have when they don't have picks to back-fill.

 

[fordman84]

You guys should really be GM's

I think that is how the Vikes keep getting theirs.

 

[fordman84]

I'm torn between whether I think the trade was more based on how delusional they were about their team or how much they panicked after the injury...

Yeah, that's another can of worms. How anyone has Teddy Bridgewater ranked very high. He's not that great of a QB that you need to go out and pay top dollar to find an equal replacement. Shaun Hill literally could have done the job and Minny would have a 1st .

 

[ducky]

For people still harping on this trade they seemed to have overlooked one really important detail: Sam Braford has looked REALLY, REALLY good.

I was one of the Vikes fans who was willing to admit this was an overpay from day 1.

I am now looking forward to the thread where casual fans harps on what an overpay it is when the Vikes hand Bradford a 5 year $100m extension this offseason.

Go look at Sam Bradford's stats compared to Dak Prescott's. They are nearly identical. To do that behind one of the worst OL's in the last decade of football is nothing short of amazing. He has had a historically bad run game, no time in the pocket, and has constantly been beat up. Yet he has produced and stayed healthy. Simple fact is that this season Bradford is showing he is a franchise QB who you can win with.

Sure it is going to be harder to build the type of team around Bradford that can win without that first rounder. But that is the price you usually have to pay for a legit starting NFL QB. You can't bank on finding gold in the 4th round at the QB position.

The Vikings have one of the biggest one sided rebuilding projects in football right now to do. They literally have to rebuild the entire offense. They have only have two offensive players (Diggs and Rudolph) that should be on the roster 2 years from now. That rebuilding project is going to be INFINITELY easier without a first rounder and Bradford than it would have been with a first rounder and without him.

In the short term this trade didn't work out like the Vikes had envisioned as far as team success is concerned. But in the long run it sure is looking like a good move when you just look at how Bradford has performed.

 

[jarntt]

Go look at Sam Bradford's stats compared to Dak Prescott's. They are nearly identical.

I did, they're not...

 

[GNG]

I doubt we trade away more picks

Really? Isn't that how the Vikings roll?

 

[GNG]

For people still harping on this trade they seemed to have overlooked one really important detail: Sam Braford has looked REALLY, REALLY good.

I was one of the Vikes fans who was willing to admit this was an overpay from day 1.

I am now looking forward to the thread where casual fans harps on what an overpay it is when the Vikes hand Bradford a 5 year $100m extension this offseason.

Go look at Sam Bradford's stats compared to Dak Prescott's. They are nearly identical. To do that behind one of the worst OL's in the last decade of football is nothing short of amazing. He has had a historically bad run game, no time in the pocket, and has constantly been beat up. Yet he has produced and stayed healthy. Simple fact is that this season Bradford is showing he is a franchise QB who you can win with.

Sure it is going to be harder to build the type of team around Bradford that can win without that first rounder. But that is the price you usually have to pay for a legit starting NFL QB. You can't bank on finding gold in the 4th round at the QB position.

The Vikings have one of the biggest one sided rebuilding projects in football right now to do. They literally have to rebuild the entire offense. They have only have two offensive players (Diggs and Rudolph) that should be on the roster 2 years from now. That rebuilding project is going to be INFINITELY easier without a first rounder and Bradford than it would have been with a first rounder and without him.

In the short term this trade didn't work out like the Vikes had envisioned as far as team success is concerned. But in the long run it sure is looking like a good move when you just look at how Bradford has performed.

The Vikings have a history of shooting themselves in the foot with poor free agent signings and bad trades.

 

[Great Dayne]

So, the Vikes could've saved a first round and 4th round pick but decided to go ahead and make the trade. In the end they will end up with about their first pick now won't be until the 50th pick or so next year. They need a new offensive coordinator, many new offensive linemen, a RB to replace AD, and probably a legit #1 WR. Their defense is solid when healthy but their offense is just fucking terrible. It might be a while before they can compete for the division again unless they make some major moves fast.

 

[fordman84]

So, the Vikes could've saved a first round and 4th round pick but decided to go ahead and make the trade. In the end they will end up with about their first pick now won't be until the 50th pick or so next year. They need a new offensive coordinator, many new offensive linemen, a RB to replace AD, and probably a legit #1 WR. Their defense is solid when healthy but their offense is just fucking terrible. It might be a while before they can compete for the division again unless they make some major moves fast.

What does their cap space look like? Will they have to explore trading a defensive piece to get an OLman or move up in the draft?

Bradford has done well with what he has. That still doesn't justify the 1st rounder.

 

[ducky]

I did, they're not...

Per game stats:
21 of 31 for 245 yards 1.42 TD's .3 INT's
24 of 33 for 250 yards 1.07 TD's .3 INT's

Not alike at all.

That's about as to the same output that you will find between two NFL QB's.

I'm not saying that I would rather have Bradford than Dak. Obviously not the case. But Bradford is proving this season that he is a legit NFL starter.

Bradford has done well with what he has. That still doesn't justify the 1st rounder.

I have to disagree.

Initially with the questions surrounding Bradford, I too thought a 1st round pick was too much.

But with the way he has performed in the circumstances he was handed, he has shown he is actually worth the pick IMO. To be as efficient as he has been and not turn the ball over on a team that has turnstiles for tackles, well below league average receiving targets and a historically bad run game is actually incredibly impressive.

Like I said....I am hoping the Vikes hand Bradford a long term extension this offseason. He is a competent NFL QB that you can win with if you surround him with the right talent. That is easily worth a 1st round pick in this league. He's not Joe Montana by any stretch of the imagination. But he is solid enough to win with if you surround him with decent talent.

Given the questions surrounding Bridgewater (both whether he was going to develop into anything worthwhile and whether he is going to be healthy enough to play this coming season) the trade for Bradford, while initially looking like a short term fix, was actually a good long term move.