A lot of pundits scoffed when Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis selected punter Ray Guy in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft. Davis retorted by pointing out that Guy would upgrade the Raiders' league-worst punting average in 1972, and he also noted that if the Guy selection panned out (Guy is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame), it meant Oakland would not have to think about getting another punter for at least 10 years.
Many Philadelphia Eagles fans and critics have expressed similar disapproval of the team devoting more than $43 million in combined cash values to quarterbacks currently on their roster, but a closer look indicates executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman and the Eagles' front office have taken a similar long-term approach to their quarterback situation.
Here's a glimpse at facets of the Eagles' plan and how it can work:
Bradford can be a top-10 quarterback
This long-term plan starts with the two-year, $35 million contract deal given to Sam Bradford, 28, in March.
Bradford's 2015 season was generally seen as a disappointment, but NFL Nation reporter Phil Sheridan points out that Bradford posted superb second-half-of-the-season figures in completion percentage and third-down production.