The quarterback position remains one of the most pressing issues for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is slated to become a free agent when the new league year begins March 9.
In one season with the Eagles, Bradford completed 346 of 532 passes for 3,725 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Despite his underwhelming performance, new head coach Doug Pederson is optimistic Bradford can "fit perfectly" into the team's new offense.
"I think Sam's a quality quarterback. I think he's a top-notch quarterback," Pederson said. "Look at what he did the half of the season. The numbers he was able to put up -- he's a quarterback that would fit perfectly into a system I'm going to bring. And so, as we evaluate that position, those decisions will be made as we go."
Pederson's comments bode well for Bradford remaining on the Eagles' roster. However, NFL Media Draft Expert Mike Mayock said in the pre-NFL Scouting Combine conference call Tuesday the Eagles should make drafting a quarterback their No. 1 priority this April.
In Mayock's 2016 draft class position-by-position rankings, Carson Wentz (North Dakota State), Jared Goff (Cal) and Paxton Lynch (Memphis) are slated in the top three spots, respectively. The Eagles hold the 13th overall pick and are in position to vie for any of Mayock's top signal callers.
Obviously, they must use their first-round selection wisely. Their second-round slot was sent to the Rams last year in the trade for Bradford. They do possess two third-round selections, though.
