The Philadelphia Eaglesshipped a boatload of draft picks to acquire the No. 2 overall pick from the Browns, with the assumption they will select a quarterback.
Eagles executive vice president Howie Roseman said that will not change the starting gig for 2016.
"Let me be clear, Sam Bradford is our starting quarterback," Roseman said Wednesday. "We told Sam that. We intend to support him and the moves we made this offseason we believe will give us a chance to compete this season."
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported the Eagles didn't intend to trade Bradford and have instead created a situation in which their rookie quarterback doesn't have to play for a year or two.
Several draft analysts believe Carson Wentz, coming out of North Dakota State, could use time to develop. If Wentz becomes the pick at No. 2, the Eagles are in a position to sit him in 2016 and continue to compete in a winnable NFC East.
Roseman was emphatic the move was about collecting quarterbacks, the most vital position in sports.
"We're going to invest in quarterbacks." Roseman said. "We had time as an organization to study: What are the keys to winning? What are the keys to being a championship caliber over a long period of time? ... It's quarterbacks.
"... If you commit that you're going to invest in quarterbacks and you have people here who we think can teach quarterbacks as well as any in the National Football League, sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is."
Roseman believes his coaching staff's ability to develop signal-callers allows for confidence in mortgaging so many picks to snag a potential franchise quarterback. He also noted the "benefit of time" the No. 2 overall pick will have playing behind Bradford.
"We saw that with Doug (Pederson) here, with Donovan (McNabb)," Roseman said. "You saw that in Green Bay (with Aaron Rodgers), you saw that in San Diego with Philip Rivers, you certainly saw that in New England with Tom Brady. The benefit of sitting and watching and observing. These are young guys. The National Football League is a big jump from any level and I think that is one of the things we also looked at, that we're not in a position where anyone has to come in and play this year and conceivable next year."
With quarterbacks playing the most important role for a football franchise, stockpiling passers is a prudent move. Only time will tell if the Eagles can develop that No. 2 pick into a superstar and if giving up a load of picks was worth that chance.
