NFL Trade Machine: Sam Bradford For Robert Griffin III

Nov 23, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) stands on the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

The Philadelphia Eagles have developed an addictive taste for the NFL trade market over the past couple month.  Now many are speculating the team could be trying to pull off their biggest one yet that involves packaging Sam Bradford in some fashion to move up high enough to draft Marcus Mariota.

While fun to think about, a lot would have to go right for them to go from #20 to #2.  So if Bradford really isn’t in the plans for Chip Kelly, is there any other alternative to the quarterback position that at least resembles what Mariota would bring?

A crazy idea they may want to consider is conducting an ultra rare trade within their own division.  It would involve a deal similar to the one they pulled off when they swapped running back LeSean McCoy for linebacker Kiko Alonso.  It would involve sending Bradford to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Robert Griffin III.

Benefits For The Eagles

Set aside the recent history and it should be a hard sell.  Griffin III is in many ways the exact same kind of player as Mariota:  good arm, highly mobile, decent accuracy and familiar with a spread offense.  His skill set is exactly the reasons Philadelphia is trying so hard to go get Mariota.  Dealing for him could be had for nowhere near the same price tag too in terms of money and draft picks.

Benefits For The Redskins

Though he insists RGIII is the starter for the time being, anybody with common sense knows Redskins head coach Jay Gruden probably doesn’t see him as the best fit for his West Coast offensive system.  Bradford, meanwhile could be the perfect fit due to his size, excellent arm and ability to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball with accuracy.

Adding to this NFL trade idea is the fact both players have a history with knee injuries  The big issue would be Bradford’s contract.  Washington may not be keen on absorbing his sizeable salary cap hit, nor the deal itself which has just one year left on it.  So there would have to be conditions that he’d sign an extension and also a bit of incentive from the Eagles in the former of a draft pick, perhaps a 3rd to 5th round pick.

Inter-divisional trades rarely happen on such a scale, but given the common sense for both sides it’s certainly something to consider.

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