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Sam Bradford's return should head off criticism

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Sal Pal: Limited options led to Bradford's return (1:21)

Sal Paolantonio explains how the Eagles and Broncos were unable to reach an agreement on a trade for QB Sam Bradford, and as a result, led him to re-join with Philadelphia. (1:21)

PHILADELPHIA -- Sam Bradford's wildcat strike may have been a big story for Philadelphia Eagles fans in May. It is unlikely to have much impact on Bradford or the Eagles in September.

This tempest will likely remain in its teapot.

Make no mistake: Bradford’s two-week absence from voluntary workouts triggered an angry response from some fans and media. It provided fodder for talk radio and red meat on Twitter and Facebook.

What Bradford’s work stoppage did not do was cause any real disruption to the Eagles’ preparations for the 2016 season.

New coach Doug Pederson is trying to create a winning atmosphere, to be sure. And having everyone present for voluntary workouts is a part of that.

But Bradford didn’t just arbitrarily decide not to come to work. The Eagles have to take some responsibility for the string of events that unfolded between March and May.

In March, Bradford and the Eagles agreed to a new two-year contract that pays Bradford $35 million ($22 million guaranteed). While the term of the contract does not indicate a long-term commitment, the amount of money does signify that Bradford is the team’s quarterback.

Based on that, Bradford was in attendance for the first week of the Eagles’ offseason workouts. During that week, though, the team traded up for the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft. In making the deal, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman announced that the team intended to draft a quarterback.

That changed the team’s relationship with Bradford. There was always the chance the team would take a quarterback somewhere in the draft. But when the Eagles traded three players and five draft picks to move up from No. 13 to No. 8 to No. 2 overall, the status of that rookie quarterback rose, too.

Carson Wentz is not some third-round pick who could develop into a quarterback. Taken with that No. 2 pick, Wentz becomes the Eagles’ franchise quarterback in waiting -- especially considering all the other resources spent to trade up for him.

Under those new circumstances, Bradford chose not to report for voluntary workouts. His agent, Tom Condon, requested a trade. At that point, Bradford’s camp may have hoped the Denver Broncos would be interested in acquiring a starting quarterback.

Things changed again after the draft, though. The Broncos took QB Paxton Lynch in the first round. The market for Bradford may have been negligible before, but it was nonexistent after the draft.

So Bradford decided to report to work on Monday, as his teammates returned to the NovaCare Complex. Pederson has said that Bradford remains the Eagles’ 2016 starter. It is not clear what happens after that.

Wentz will likely get an opportunity to start at some point. But if Bradford takes the Eagles to the playoffs this year and Wentz doesn’t look ready in practice, it is possible Bradford could be the starter in 2017.

Bradford’s best option is to play well enough to make it tough for the Eagles to let him go. That would mean the Eagles are winning games, so the team will be content with that outcome.

It is unlikely, after what the Eagles invested in him, that Wentz won’t eventually become the team’s starting quarterback. Bradford can complicate that process. If he does, he will raise his value in the eyes of other NFL teams.

In two years, Bradford could be a 30-year-old free agent in a league starving for quarterbacks. That won’t be a bad scenario for him.

Bradford could have saved himself some grief by simply reporting to work the past couple of weeks. There are fans who could choose to make their disapproval known during the preseason or even the regular season. But if Bradford plays well, he can mute that disapproval.

No one will boo him if he throws a touchdown pass. No one will care about his brief holdout from voluntary workouts is he’s winning. That was always going to be the deal here, and it hasn’t changed. In that sense, Bradford's holdout hasn't changed anything.