Quarterback Sam Bradford is ready to lead the Arizona Cardinals in 2017, his second NFC West stop
When Cardinals fans heard that the Arizona front office and general manager Steve Keim elected to solve the team’s well documented quarterback needs with the oft-injured Sam Bradford and the unproven, and equally un-athletic, Mike Glennon, an apathetic fan base turned aggravated. Bradford, after a solid 2016 campaign, in which he set the single season NFL record for completion percentage, struggled to stay healthy throughout the 2017 season.
When thrust into game action, Bradford appeared to be a skittish shell of his former self, see his Week 5 Monday Night Football performance against the Chicago Bears. Now Bradford, on his third team in as many years, is at a crossroads in his professional career. Will he continue to face durability issues? Will he struggle to push the ball downfield when healthy?
Despite our best guesses, no one really knows which Sam Bradford we will see this season in Phoenix. That said, here are four reasons I believe Bradford may be poised for a breakout season in the desert.
A Stellar Running Game
While the Cardinals play in possibly the toughest division in football, Arizona seems like a perfect fit for Bradford, in large part due to the return of a star running back David Johnson. After a stellar 2015 season in which he averaged 4.6 yards a carry as a rookie, Johnson exploded onto the NFL scene with a 1,200 yard season in his sophomore season. Known for his relentless and aggressive running style, Johnson’s impact on the offense is unquestioned.
Plainly put, when Johnson gets going, the rest of the offense goes with him. In Johnson’s first two seasons, quarterback Carson Palmer enjoyed two of his greatest statistical years, both coming in the twilight of his career. With defenses forced to respect the run, and a full complement of play action options for Head Coach Bruce Arians to utilize, Palmer tossed 61 touchdowns with only 25 interceptions.
So what does all this mean for Bradford? Everything. In Bradford’s most impressive full season of his career, he was the primary benefactor of an explosive running game. In his 2012 season with the St. Louis Rams, Bradford tossed just under four thousand yards while playing a full sixteen game season for just the second time in his career. Unsurprisingly, star running back Stephen Jackson enjoyed an a thousand yard season while averaging over four yards a carry.
With David Johnson returning from injury, Bradford should benefit from a rejuvenated Arizona rushing attack.
Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy
Once viewed as one of the most dynamic quarterback prospects in recent memory, Bradford has battled consistent durability issues and dwindling mobility. That said, his best years have come with offensive gurus, none more notable than newly hired New York Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur. In all three of his NFL stops, Bradford’s most dynamic years have come under Shurmur’s tutelage.
In Bradford’s rookie season Shurmur designed a quick release offense that enabled him to set NFL rookie records in total completions and consecutive completions without an interception. In both Philadelphia and Minnesota, Shurmur designed offensive game plans that allowed Bradford to stand in the pocket and quickly get the ball out of his hands. The passing offense was made up of a unique mixture of short and intermediate throws that allowed dynamic receivers to create after the catch.
While Shurmur was rumored as a potential candidate for the Cardinals head coaching vacancy, he ultimately elected to go to New York. What gives me hope is the fact that the Cardinals ended up with an equally impressive offensive mind to run their offense: Mike McCoy.
In four years as the San Diego Chargers Head Coach, McCoy designed explosive offensives, and helped guide quarterback Philip Rivers through some of the most impressive seasons in his storied professional career. Through four seasons with McCoy, Rivers averaged over 31 touchdown passes a season, and well over four thousand yards.
That said, McCoy’s most impressive quarterback work came in his time in Denver designing an offense around the skill set of the supremely pedestrian Kyle Orton. In Orton’s first season in Denver he posted career statistics in a quick release simplified offense, artfully crafted by McCoy. The following year Orton led the Broncos to a top-ten finish in passing offense, while finishing fourth in passing yards per game.
What makes me the most excited about the marriage of McCoy and Bradford is the work that McCoy did in Denver. Orton, much like Bradford, was a statuesque passer that excelled in short and intermediate passing. Look for McCoy to deploy an offense that caters to Bradford’s strengths, and look for the two to have immediate success in a loaded NFC West.
A Stout Defense
While Bradford is largely regarded as a skilled passer that has failed to put it all together, he has consistently done one thing well: take care of the ball. In his 7 seasons as a starting quarterback, Bradford has never thrown more than fifteen interceptions in a single season.
Like most quarterbacks, Bradford’s largest turnover total came in his rookie campaign, in which he threw fifteen picks. In the years since, Bradford has consistently avoided turnovers. In 2016, Bradford’s last healthy season, he finished with an impressive 99.3 passer rating, while only throwing five interceptions. While Bradford has taken criticism for being overly conservative at times, his calculated approach may fit perfectly with an aggressive Cardinals defense.
With Steve Wilks at the helm, look for the Cardinals defense to post impressive numbers. While the team is making the switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense, there may be a brief adjustment period early in the season. But with a healthy Markus Golden and the NFL’s leading sack man Chandler Jones, look for Arizona to consistently apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks and capitalize on turnover opportunities.
Despite the loss of dynamic safety Tyrann Mathieu, I still believe the Cardinals have a chance to be one of the most opportune secondaries in the league. Look for safety Buddha Baker to play a more prominent role on defense, and with All-Pro Cornerback Patrick Peterson leading the way, I expect to see a ballhawking secondary in the desert.
Bradford may never become the quarterback that talent evaluators expected him to be, but in Arizona he doesn’t need to be. If Bradford can take care of the ball and capitalize on short field opportunities, I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals in the thick of the NFC playoff race this upcoming season.
A Chip on his Shoulder
While my prior points of evidence were concrete aspects of the Cardinal’s roster that I believe will put Sam Bradford in a position to succeed. This last point is strictly a theory: I think Sam Bradford is angry.
Coming out of Oklahoma, most draft pundits viewed Bradford as the most polished quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning. Fast forward nearly a decade, and Bradford has largely failed to live up to expectations. Every time Bradford has provided fans with glimpses of hope, his career has been derailed by injuries.
After a strong 2012 campaign, Bradford only managed to play a combined seven games over his final two seasons in St. Louis. After his incredibly efficient 2016 season in Minnesota, Bradford spent most of 2017 battling injuries, before ultimately losing the starting quarterback job to NFL journeyman Case Keenum.
Now, Bradford finds himself on his fourth NFL team, and his chances as a starting NFL quarterback seem to be running dry. While Bradford is the unquestioned starter for the Cardinals over Mike Glennon, league wide speculation is that Arizona may be looking to trade up for one of this year’s top quarterback prospects. All in all, Bradford’s starting role for the Cardinals is far from concrete.
All things considered, I would not be shocked to see Bradford post career numbers this year. What drew me to that conclusion? The fact that Bradford is seemingly up against a wall.
These days Bradford is more known for his lucrative earnings than his on-field performance, and while franchises are seemingly more than willing to give Bradford chance after chance, fellow players throughout the league have called out Bradford for his monumental wealth and less than stellar career to date. Now Bradford is faced with playing against a stacked NFC West with ruthless defensive lines in all three opposing cities. While a returning David Johnson should take pressure off of Bradford, the Cardinals only have one receiver with an a thousand yard receiving year under their belt: 34 year old Larry Fitzgerald.
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At the crossroads of his professional career, most media pundits expect Bradford to fizzle out in Arizona, and that is exactly why I expect him to excel.