Sam Bradford's time with the Cardinals wasn't long. The funny thing is, it wasn't because Bradford got hurt. That had been the fear. Instead, Bradford simply didn't play well, and certainly not anywhere near the way he played in 2016 with the Vikings or in the 2017 season opener with Minnesota -- before Bradford got hurt. That's what the Cards counted on having, why they shelled out $15 million plus incentives to bring him in this season.
His release isn't shocking. He was unlikely not only to play but even be active the rest of the season, given that $300,000+ bonus he would receive for every game he was on the 46-man game day list. For those asking about the timing, the trade deadline was Tuesday, it would've made sense to try and deal him -- and now that Bradford can't be dealt, and because the Week 10 deadline approaches for contracts/players counting against the 2019 compensatory pick equation -- this is as good a time as any to move on.
-- Along those lines, the comp pick impact was significant. The Cardinals "gain" a potential sixth-round pick with Bradford's release (because it doesn't count against the Cards) and it costs the Vikings, Bradford's former team, a potential third-round comp pick, because Bradford had signed such a large contract.
-- Bradford, as do all veterans now, has to clear waivers before becoming a free agent despite his vested status. That will happen. I can't see any team willing to take his current contract. There will be some dead money next year ($5 million) on the cap, but given Josh Rosen's spot, Bradford didn't figure to be on the 2019 roster one way or the other.
-- The Cards didn't make a corresponding roster move (nor one yet for IR'd offensive lineman John Wetzel, which in itself is a tough situation given Wetzel's versatility). They have Charles Kanoff as a QB on the practice squad, but I don't know if they will put him on the active roster. You can keep him PS, use that extra roster spot, and still have that third QB around if needed.
-- Finally, in terms of Bradford's signing in the first place and how it got sideways, much of that ground has been tread. The news of Bradford's release really doesn't change anything -- it was inevitable, whether now or after the season, really -- from when Bradford was benched in September. Could Bradford's tenure have been different if Mike McCoy wasn't the offensive coordinator and Byron Leftwich was? Possible. That's moot now.
When the Cards signed Bradford, they missed out on Kirk Cousins despite making a run. They had no quarterbacks at that point. They wanted Bradford to start, they signed Mike Glennon to be the backup, and they weren't sure what was going to happen in the draft. Obviously, they were able to move up to get Rosen. Now it's Rosen's team and Rosen's time.
