Sam Bradford could take another step forward for Minnesota Vikings in 2017
By Adam Carlson
Sam Bradford did a great job stepping into a tough situation during the 2016 season for the Minnesota Vikings, but the sky could be the limit in 2017.
The Minnesota Vikings executed a big trade before the 2016 NFL season that brought Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles to be their starting quarterback. At the time, it seemed like a bit of a desperate move, and it failed to pay off with the team missing the playoffs.
As an individual, Bradford put together an amazing season last year. Not only did he break NFL records for pass accuracy, but he helped to establish Adam Thielen as one of the top rising talents in the league and bring Kyle Rudolph back to the forefront.
Looking forward to 2017, Bradford has the potential to be even better. This year, he will have the benefit of a full training camp and preseason to adjust and he will have the benefit of a familiar voice helping the offense in Pat Shurmur, who took over as the offensive coordinator when Norv Turner stepped down.
Recently, Shurmur spoke about the benefit of having Bradford available for offseason and preseason activities in an article on ESPN’s website.
"“When he comes back [for the Vikings’ offseason program in April], him having the ability to sit down with the players he’s going to play with through the offseason, we’ll do things that fit his eye, that fit with what we do,” Shurmur said. “We’ll be able to practice that more. When he came in this year, everything was running parallel and real fast. He had to get up to speed with what we were doing, he had to quickly learn the players he was playing with.”"
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Developing a rapport with players is something that can take years to form. However, Bradford appeared to click with several Vikings pass catchers right away, including Thielen, Diggs, and Rudolph.
Shurmur continued to talk about some of the small things that could make a big difference going forward with Sam Bradford behind center for Minnesota.
"“That connection between the quarterback and the skill players is extremely important, and that chemistry is built really in the offseason, when you get the chance to slow it down and run the individual routes that are within the concept, so he gets a feel for their body language and vice versa. That’s where you’re hopeful that you’re going to see a big jump in efficiency in terms of the passing game.”"
Next: Vikings offensive line options
All eyes will be on Sam Bradford when the Minnesota Vikings kick off the 2017 season. With some rebuilding of the offensive line and better familiarity with his pass catchers, the sky could be the limit for the Minnesota passing attack.