Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Head Coach: Sam Bradford should be a backup QB

Published Jul. 21, 2015 4:00 p.m. ET

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One of the NFL's most intense quarterback battles is about to get started in just over a week, and not everyone realizes that it's going to happen. Most assume that Sam Bradford simply has to show up 100 percent healthy to win the Eagles' quarterback job. Those people aren't entirely accurate.

Mark Sanchez took almost every first team offensive repetition during the Eagles' spring practices, and observers admitted that he looked pretty good. Now another year removed from his shoulder surgery, Sanchez showed a renewed arm strength. Since, Sanchez has organized some of the Eagles' best skill position players to workout with him in San Diego before the start of camp.

Bradford and Sanchez will do battle in camp, and at least one NFL head coach believes that Bradford should be the one who ends up in the backup role.

In a piece that aimed to break the quarterbacks down into tiers, ESPN's Mike Sando spoke with an anonymous NFL head coach to get the lowdown on every quarterback. The coach ranked Bradford as the 23rd-best quarterback, and he decided that he was either a Tier 3 or Tier 4 quarterback.

According to this system, Tier 3 quarterbacks are good enough to start but need lots of support, making it tougher to contend at the highest level. Tier 4 quarterbacks are typically unproven starters or those who might not be expected to last in the lineup all season.

The head ball coach also provided a specific rationale for why Bradford fell into place where he did:

"I thought he was a 2 coming out because I did not see the big arm," said the head coach, per Sando of ESPN. "No one could tell from his pro day because [agent] Tom Condon wouldn't let him throw any deep comebacks. He has the intangibles, but you have to give him a 3 or 4 just because he is always hurt."

This head coach wasn't the only anonymous coach surveyed, and another coach had a more positive opinion of Bradford, but he still remained a "Tier 3" quarterback despite the optimism.

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports