Is Vikings’ Sam Bradford ready to be an elite NFL QB?

I'm going on record; it's incredibly early for this kind of speculation...Press, they'll heap praise in a win and the sky will be falling if the Steelers kick our asz on Sunday...

He has never been elite.  No reason to think he will be now.  He can be top tier though but he needs a top offense around him.

I just want to win a Super Bowl. Elite or not. Lets just get it done.

Elite is a fleeting term. Aaron Rodgers is elite most of the time I guess. Matt Ryan wasn't elite two years ago. Last year he was elite. We'll see about this year. Two years ago folks in Boston were saying that Brady was done. He's elite again. Or at least he was until last weekend. Andrew Luck was elite for a season or two. Now there is talk he could part ways with Indy. Philip Rivers goes from elite to league average seemingly every week. Who's elite? Eli Manning? Russell Wilson? Cam Newton? Carson Palmer? 

Sam was elite last weekend. We'll see about this week. Bottom line is this: is he good enough to win a Super Bowl given a healthy season, a solid supporting cast and protection? You bet he is. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

Sam was elite last weekend. We'll see about this week. Bottom line is this: is he good enough to win a Super Bowl given a healthy season, a solid supporting cast and protection? You bet he is. 

This is all that truly matters to me.

The media loves to crown a guy or tear him a new one after one game....why not let it breathe a bit and we'll see? He certainly was elite on MNF. 

Being “elite” isn’t about pure statistical performances, it’s
about how much better performance you provide over your peers.  A tier 2-3 QB with a great surrounding cast
might be able to statistically outperform an elite QB with a poor surrounding
cast.  An elite QB elevates the play of
those around him, both in good times and in tough times.

 

I think he clearly has the ability to make great, accurate
throws, to hit receivers in stride, to make a great throw while taking a hit.  I’m not convinced that he has the charisma to
really rally the troops and sometimes it seems like he’s emotionally taken the
game off.  I think he’s had a lot of
losing in his career and might find it acceptable.  An elite QB always thinks that they can still
win the game, and that confidence allows them to make those few key plays that
change the tide of the game.  I know Zimmer
has been working with him on improving those leadership qualities, and
hopefully that side of his game has improved.

 

I know some people think our offense lacks star power.  I don’t believe that.  We have a very consistent and deep receiving
group.  Thielen, Diggs, Rudolph, and Floyd
will be able to consistently be productive against normal defenses and will expose
many teams lack of secondary depth.  As
long as our OLine blocks well, Bradford can still be a good but not elite QB
that delivers an elite-like performance. 
It will really come down to how well he performs in those high pressure
games at the end of the season.

I've got one question.  If we are an elite QB away from winning it all and we've got him already with the only hindrance being an OL.  Why didn't we go all in on the OL.  Oakland did the past 2 years.  Its one of the reasons Carr has looked so good.  We had the money to resign our D long term.  I know its a short term vs long term but if we blow up again this year Zimmer better behave because he might be on the hot seat. 

I like our teams chances if we can keep Sam healthy.  I don't think he's a Erin Rogers or Tom Shady type QB but I do think he's in that "dang good" category. 

Could Sam become "elite"?  I don't see why not, as he has the tools and (finally) some consistency in terms of his surrounding cast.  To be clear, though, I care a ton more about an elite OFFENSE than I do about any one member of it.  Right now, we are actually getting close to an "09" situation, with a big-armed QB that has at least two very dangerous receivers (three with Rudolph), an emerging RB, and an overall look and feel of balance and competence.  Add that to our defense, and this should be one helluva season...and maybe elevate Sam in the fickle eyes of the QB-obsessed.

Slow your roll. Seriously? It was one game. One game that I enjoyed the hell out of but one game nonetheless. He keeps it up, then we revisit. Right now, I want to have fun and enjoy the season. 

Even the 'elite' QB's get rattled when they start taking a lot of hits. Protect Sam and he will do enough, and the defense will do the rest. This team can win with Sam. That's all that counts.

@"medaille" said: I’m not convinced that he has the charisma to really rally the troops and sometimes it seems like he’s emotionally taken the game off.  I think he’s had a lot of losing in his career and might find it acceptable.   

Conjectural BS. You're just looking into Sam Bradford's eyes on TV and determined that he "doesn't mind losing"? He was a top HS competitor in basketball, hockey, and golf as well as football, but doesn't have any drive to win? He could have gone pro in 2009 but went back to Oklahoma to try to win an NCAA championship because he didn't mind losing?

Many, maybe most, QBs who eventually won Super Bowls went through early seasons losing. Look at the lousy records of the Steelers or 49ers teams Bradshaw and Montana quarterbacked. How many games did Phil Simms , Doug Williams, or Jim Plunkett lose??

@"medaille" said:I know Zimmer has been working with him on improving those leadership qualities, and hopefully that side of his game has improved. 

Really - you KNOW this? How?? From your private evening chats with Zimmer? Because everything I have ever read from anyone associated with the Vikings has been 100% full of praise for Bradford's leadership qualities, even last season after his sudden addition to the team. I have read some comments that he is "more comfortable" this year, but none imply he lacked leadership or didn't care about winning. All I have read about Zimmer is that he and Bradford texted about the playbook and visited in Oklahoma over the offseason. Show us a comment from Zimmer saying that Bradford needs to be a leader or care about winning. 

For just the second time in his career he got to camp while not recovering from an injury or working in a new offense...elite is rare air...but I think he's finally got a chance to be the best version of Sam Bradford he can be...

@"Jor-El" said:

@"medaille" said:

I know Zimmer has been working with him on improving those leadership qualities, and hopefully that side of his game has improved. 

Really - you KNOW this? How?? From your private evening chats with Zimmer? Because everything I have ever read from anyone associated with the Vikings has been 100% full of praise for Bradford's leadership qualities, even last season after his sudden addition to the team. I have read some comments that he is "more comfortable" this year, but none imply he lacked leadership or didn't care about winning. All I have read about Zimmer is that he and Bradford texted about the playbook and visited in Oklahoma over the offseason. Show us a comment from Zimmer saying that Bradford needs to be a leader or care about winning. 

Medaille, that's a great article. I've watched the game a few times now and really liked what I saw from sleeves. The seemed to feel comfortable in the pocket (moving around a bit and even throwing on the run), the guy had command of the O (both changing plays at the line and feeling comfortable enough to drop bombs all over the field to our "no name" group of WRs (gruden)), and the guy was showing emotion!!! haha. He is mr. stoned out, diet fresca, living in the pool house the T. It takes soooo much just to get him to pump his fist! but it was awesome to see. After a few huge plays and connecting with Diggs for the wide open TD in the corner, he was jacked.

If Zim can get him to actually show emotion, the guy has enough arm talent to be a great QB, pulling that "fire" out of him is all he needs to be great. pulling that "it" that will allow him to comeback when he's down, to pick his teammates up. etc...
If Bradpool can put a few games together like this, we may be pretty good, because if we get a lead, Zim's D won't let the other team come back.

@"medaille" said:

@"Jor-El" said:

@"medaille" said:

I know Zimmer has been working with him on improving those leadership qualities, and hopefully that side of his game has improved. 

Really - you KNOW this? How?? From your private evening chats with Zimmer? Because everything I have ever read from anyone associated with the Vikings has been 100% full of praise for Bradford's leadership qualities, even last season after his sudden addition to the team. I have read some comments that he is "more comfortable" this year, but none imply he lacked leadership or didn't care about winning. All I have read about Zimmer is that he and Bradford texted about the playbook and visited in Oklahoma over the offseason. Show us a comment from Zimmer saying that Bradford needs to be a leader or care about winning. 

Here's what 20 seconds of searching google came up with.  I'm sure you could find more if you tried.

“Sam is a pretty flat-line guy,” Zimmer said. “Part of it is being the leader of this football team, so I’ve been talking to him more about taking charge…the other part is talking about the offense having confidence when they have success… I’ve just been talking to Sam about showing a little more emotion”

http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/08/zimmer-bradford-building-bond-offseason/