The quarterback swap produced more long-term value than…
The quarterback swap produced more long-term value than either starter's 2015 season suggests. Philadelphia got a full season from Sam Bradford, then traded him to Minnesota in 2016 for a first-round pick and additional draft value. St. Louis received Nick Foles, Andrew Donnal and a 2016 second-rounder; Foles failed, but that second-round pick became a core piece of the package used to move to No. 1 for Jared Goff. Both teams extracted major downstream value.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Nick Foles
- pick 2015 4th round pick (119th overall, Andrew Donnal)
- pick 2016 2nd round pick (43rd overall subsequently traded, Austin Johnson )
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Sam Bradford
- pick 2015 5th round pick (145th overall subsequently traded, Bobby McCain )
- pick conditional 2016 pick (not conveyed)
Trade Analysis
The immediate 2015 quarterback comparison did not crown a clear winner. Sam Bradford stayed healthy enough to start 14 games for Philadelphia, throwing for 3,725 yards while the Eagles finished 7-9. Nick Foles struggled badly in St. Louis, lost the starting job to Case Keenum in November and never became the answer the Rams hoped they had acquired. If the analysis stopped there, Philadelphia would hold the obvious edge.
The draft capital changes the picture. The Rams also received a 2015 fourth-round pick used on Andrew Donnal and, more importantly, Philadelphia's 2016 second-rounder at No. 43. Rams general manager Les Snead later said that acquiring the extra second was valuable because it gave the team more maneuverability in the next draft. That pick became one of the major pieces sent to Tennessee in the blockbuster package that moved Los Angeles from No. 15 to No. 1, where the Rams selected Jared Goff. The Rams gave up far more than this one selection, so the Goff outcome cannot be assigned entirely to this deal, but No. 43 was a genuine foundation piece.
Philadelphia also created major residual value. After drafting Carson Wentz in 2016, the Eagles traded Bradford to Minnesota shortly before the season and received a 2017 first-round pick plus conditional later compensation. Bradford therefore gave Philadelphia a functional starting season and then turned into premium draft capital.
Both clubs ultimately used this swap as a bridge to their next quarterback plan. Philadelphia gets an A- for Bradford's 2015 production and the later first-round return. The Rams also get an A- because the second-round pick materially enabled the Goff trade even though Foles himself failed. With substantial value realized on both sides through different paths, an even verdict is the fairest historical reading.