May 06, 2016
Doug Pederson might not be able to get his disgruntled starting quarterback on the phone, but that doesn’t mean Sam Bradford is screening his teammates’ calls.
For instance, defensive end Connor Barwin has talked to Bradford since the team made the deal for the No. 2 overall pick (which of course turned into Carson Wentz). On The Mike and Ike Show Friday afternoon, Barwin said that he expects the 28-year-old signal-caller, who has skipped voluntary workouts in hopes of getting traded, “to be back in the next week or two and to be the starting quarterback next year.”
Those sentiments are certainly the company line that both Pederson and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman have stuck to since making the trade. Barwin later expanded on the subject on Philly Sports Talk.
“You got to talk to [Bradford] and he’ll say what he wants to say, but my feeling from talking to him was that he’ll be here sooner rather than later,” Barwin said on Comcast SportsNet.” And obviously he’ll be here when has to be here for mandatory camp.”
Barwin also expressed that he and his teammates would welcome Bradford back, at least in part because they view the six-year veteran as the starter for the next season or two. It certainly seems that Bradford and Tom Condon don’t feel that way, though.
“I’ve had guys drafted in the first round behind me, they weren’t the number two overall pick,” Barwin said on CSN. “So it is different and we have to be honest about that, but it always comes down to how you perform and that’s what I said to him. And if he plays well, everything will take care of itself.”
While Jordan Matthews wouldn’t go as far as Barwin in terms of giving a timeline, the third-year receiver told CSN that he has also spoken to Bradford. Matthews said he views Bradford as the starter in 2016 and “the best quarterback on the team.”
“Obviously, all of us see Sam as the starter for the next year or two to help kind of mentor the kid and show him the ropes,” Barwin told WIP. “But Carson will be the quarterback of the future in the long term.”
It remains to be seen what Bradford will do. One thing is for certain, though: If and when he does come back to the Eagles, the scrutiny he receives at the NovaCare Complex will only intensify.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
