This is an excellent trade for the Vikings, in light of what the options were after Teddy Bridgewater went down. Bradford compares pretty favorably with Bridgewater; he’s not quite as mobile but he has a slightly stronger arm. Like Bridgewater, he doesn’t throw many interceptions, but Bradford had as many 40+ yard passes last year as Bridgewater did in two years. And while he’s not elite – he wouldn’t have been available if he was – he’s pretty solid. He’s accurate, and Pro Football Focus even had him ranked as the 12th best QB in the NFL last year.
Compare:
65.0%, 3,725 yards, 19 TD, 14 INT, 86.4 rating
65.3%, 3,231 yards, 14 TD, 9 IND, 88.7 rating
That’s not bad, considering that the Vikings had the better team. Obviously, Vikings fans would prefer that Touchdown Teddy was behind center come opening day, but I see no reason not to be confident in Bradford’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities that Adrian Peterson will create for him. Given the talent around him, it would not be even remotely surprising if Bradford had an unexpected career year in 2016, since he no longer needs to feel the pressure to