Angelo: Bradford trade ‘wasn’t desperate, but it certainly was risky’

Former Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo sees the potential for reward for the Minnesota Vikings for giving up two draft picks, including a first-rounder in 2017, to acquire quarterback Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday.

He also can see some risk, but that’s all part of what teams do when they have visions of being a contender and lose a critical piece, as the Vikings did with Teddy Bridgewater’s season-ending knee injury last Tuesday, and when they want to commit their future to a young gun.

‘Minnesota’s poised to make a run’

“I wouldn’t say it was desperate, but it certainly was risky from both teams’ perspective,” Angelo told Zig Fracassi and Alex Marvez on the End Zone. “Minnesota’s poised to make a run, so I understand where they’re coming from. The issue is Bradford, in my mind, still hasn’t proven that he can stay healthy.

“Coming in this late, with no preseason (with the Vikings), I’m sure he has a familiarity with Norv Turner’s offense or they wouldn’t have made the deal. But, again, you’ve got to (take a) risk sometimes if you’re going to make the run that the Vikings feel they can make. Really, their team is built very, very well. It’s built around their defense, special teams. They’re very well-coached.”

Vikings’ ‘quarterback doesn’t have to be special’

With so many strengths in other areas, including running back Adrian Peterson, the Vikings have the luxury of not needing to lean too heavily on Bradford or anyone else would replace Bridgewater.

“The quarterback doesn’t have to be special,” Angelo said. “He’s just got to be a guy that can move the chains and protect the ball. So it may work out and who knows? If he has a good year, he’s got two years on his contract. He may be the quarterback for the future for them as well.”

Eagles have a ‘young guy with no backup’

The Eagles hope they have their quarterback of the future in rookie Carson Wentz, the second overall pick of the draft. But without Bradford, they have put themselves in a position where they will likely put the team in Wentz’s young hands much sooner than originally believed. And their depth appears shaky at best with Chase Daniel likely in the No. 2 role.

“They’ve got a young guy with really no backup,” Angelo said. “New coach, new system. Maybe they just think that they could afford to run this risk. They’re certainly not, I don’t think, looking to make a real run, even though that NFC East is up for grabs every year, it seems like. So it will be interesting to see.”