Sam Bradford's a Viking

[vikesfan52]

Hands down a great deal. Bradford makes us a contender again and I think he will be better than Bridgewater on this team. I like Bridgewater but I feel like Bradford is a better fit. Bradford is accurate enough to throw deep and has never been on a team like the vikings. We were a great team last year and Teddy only put up 14 tds and 9 picks. I want to see how Bradford does with the best running back in the league and one of the best defenses. Yes, it is a first round pick but it's not going to kill us. That first rounder could be a Cordarelle Patterson type player or an Anthony Barr. You never know what you are going to get but with Bradford you do. He is an average NFL quarterback. Good luck finding one without giving up a first rounder. Also, for the ones who can't stand this trade. Did you really want to go all year getting killed watching Shaun Hill at quarterback in a new stadium? If so go watch the rams game from last year when Hill came in. Maybe that will change your mind.

[TSonn]

If he truly plays well, he could BE their future at QB. He's only 28. This trade may have cost them a building block (the first round pick) but it might also have added a key building block. Only time will tell.

Yeah, that's also a possibility! That's why I hardly see any downside to this move.

[VikingPaul73]

Two things I'm concerned about, the system is number one. Can Bradford adapt to Norvs offense? Has he played in this system before? How long will it take him to assimilate?
.

well it's not like we have a seriously complex playbook
1. Handoff to AD
2. Handoff to AD
3. 4 yard pass to Rudolph 1 millisecond before getting simultaneously pummeled by Kalil's and Smith's assignments
4. Punt

Something tells me he'll pick it up rather quickly

[cogitator]

The thing is, he may never be again.

This move didn't occur in a vacuum - Spielman is being told things about the injury, and perhaps about Bridgewater's overall health, that led him to make this move. He didn't trade or cut Bridgewater, but he is responding to the overall situation which is his job. As Zimmer himself said, this is a team of guys who have worked very hard to put themselves into a competitive position, and Spielman's job is to adjust as needed before and during a season if necessary to make sure the team overall can succeed.

I think you may have hit on it here - the overall health. You have to wonder if something so serious can occur without contact, if Bridgewater just doesn't have the frame, the build (structural strength maybe), to stay healthy over the long term.

[Mothman]

well it's not like we have a seriously complex playbook
1. Handoff to AD
2. Handoff to AD
3. 4 yard pass to Rudolph 1 millisecond before getting simultaneously pummeled by Kalil's and Smith's assignments
4. Punt

Something tells me he'll pick it up rather quickly

Maybe his presence will help open it up.

[VikingPaul73]

If he truly plays well, he could BE their future at QB. He's only 28. This trade may have cost them a building block (the first round pick) but it might also have added a key building block. Only time will tell.

Fair points by both, although I would be shocked if he would ever command a first rounder again. The Eagles caught lightning in a bottle: a team that views itself as a superbowl contender, with no backup plan at QB, having their starter go down in late August. Desperation caused us to give up a 1st rounder.....I suppose this could happen to another team next August but I'd say it's highly unlikely

[Mothman]

If i heard correctly on KFAN, the 4th round pick becomes a 3rd round pick if the Vikings play in the NFC Championship game and it becomes a 2nd round pick if they're in the Super Bowl. The only thing I'm not sure about is if the condition is that the Vikes need to reach those games or win those games.

[Norv Zimmer]

I appreciate your optimism, I really do. And you make some good points. But allow me to play yin to your yang:

1) Bradford is a statue with an injury history, now playing behind an absolute disgrace of an OL. This likely won't be pretty.
2) Trading a 1st really handcuffs us on trying to improve said disgrace of an OL. I was really hoping to see a 1st rounder used next year on a RT or LT. Now? They have much less flexibility in dealing with Kalil, Smith, and even Berger this offseason.
3) Even when healthy he's been average and now he'll be running for his life. As DP posted, Hill has a better career passer rating!!
4) This smells like a panic move to win the super bowl NOW. Since we all know this won't happen this year with this awful OL, it's a terrible gamble which mortgages the future based on desperation.

This MIGHT work, but almost certainly WON'T work (if you define "WORK" as winning the super bowl)....and it cost them a big building block for the future.

Seriously our offensive line is not nearly as bad as you claim it to be. Hill might have a better passers rating, when was the last time he started a game? Hill has no velocity on his passes, Bradford has always had a strong arm. You call Bradford a statue.... compared to Hill that is hilarious.

Everyone with negativity I think should stop posting it. The move is made we all as fans have to live with it because we have zero say in it. You can either support the team and get behind it or not. No use in beating a dead horse.

[beerfan]

Another angle on this is that Bradford has come back from multiple ACL tears and can be a good mentor to Teddy for two years until Teddy is fully healthy and it becomes his team again

[VikingPaul73]

I wasn't trying to suggest Hill is better than Bradford....just to demonstrate that even when healthy Bradford is very average. Sorry, I guess that was misleading in my post and I didn't clarify properly.

I agree Hill has a noodle arm and is more of a statue than Bradford.

The Vikings will be better with Bradford than with Hill....the difference is the Vikings didn't have to mortgage their future to get Hill in a desperate attempt to "win now"

[halfgiz]

Something to think about...How long will Turner be around?
Is this more of a Shurmur pick? He was always big on Bradford.

This team will be the most talent Bradford has ever played with.

[Norv Zimmer]

I wasn't trying to suggest Hill is better than Bradford....just to demonstrate that even when healthy Bradford is very average. Sorry, I guess that was misleading in my post and I didn't clarify properly.

I agree Hill has a noodle arm and is more of a statue than Bradford.

The Vikings will be better with Bradford than with Hill....the difference is the Vikings didn't have to mortgage their future to get Hill in a desperate attempt to "win now"

How did they mortgage their future? The team is very young and has many years of success ahead of them. A first round draft pick isn't mortgaging their future.

Bradford is better than any other possible option. Like it or not we are in. It to win it this year.

[MWNANCe]

The 4th can become a second if he does well

[VikingPaul73]

How did they mortgage their future? The team is very young and has many years of success ahead of them. A first round draft pick isn't mortgaging their future.

Bradford is better than any other possible option. Like it or not we are in. It to win it this year.

They mortgaged a portion of their future and limited their ability to improve their awful OL....which needs to be done before they sniff the superbowl.

[mosscarter]

this reminds me a little of carson palmer. he was injured and had some horrific seasons and simply needed a change of scenery. now look at him. this is a move they HAD to make unless you want to waste an entire season. our first round pick was projected to be much later in the round anyhow. the one article i read is that we have extra 3rd and 4th rounders anyway. the offensive line has actually looked pretty decent this preseason i'm not sure what games people have been watching. someone made a really valid point about teddy's injury happening without any contact; it makes one wonder if it wasn't bound to happen because of something in his physical makeup (aka childs). one doctor said that type of injury isn't something you see in sports, its something you see in a major car accident.