Just when you thought it was safe to head to the beach or watch some tennis during the summers last long weekend, the NFL reminded you on Saturday morning that its phones never turn off. The Eagles and Vikings consummated a fun, fascinating trade just days before the season begins, with Philly sending starting quarterback Sam Bradford to Minnesota for a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018. Its a remarkable turn of events for a pair of teams with two of the more intelligent and aggressive general managers in all of football. In both their cases, though, we can see just how the rules for quarterbacks and the rules for decision-making at all other positions are entirely different.Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has done an incredible job building a deep, young roster in Minnesota, mostly sticking to what would count as NFL personnel best practices. Hes built through his lines, tried to amass extra draft picks by trading down and mostly stayed out of free agency. When hes veered from those principles in the past, hes avoided making the mistake again. The notable example there is when he traded up in 2013, sending second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round picks to New England to draft Cordarrelle Patterson, with the Patriots using the selections to acquire Jamie Collins, Logan Ryan?and LeGarrette Blount, Blount coming via trade.Since then, by my count, Spielman has made 10 draft pick-for-pick trades. Eight of them were trades to move down. He traded the 240th pick to move up eight spots in the sixth round of this years draft, about as modest of a trade-up as you can imagine, while his other trade up was at the end of the first round for?Teddy Bridgewater. The price was much more amenable -- a lone fourth-round pick -- to make the trade, but the target?was a quarterback. Even if Bridgewater never plays again (and he will), it was one of the few trade-ups which worked.With extra third- and fourth-round picks in the 2017 draft coming his way from the Dolphins, Spielman has made his most curious and aggressive move since the Patterson trade. It tells us a lot about how he perceives his team and their short-term chances to compete and how desperate Minnesota was for a passer. As much as I suggested the Vikings could get by with Shaun Hill at quarterback, its clear Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer dont agree. (Given that theyre watching Hill every day in practice and realize how bad things would be if Hill himself got injured, they deserve at least some benefit of the doubt here.)Hill has been a better quarterback than Bradford by every single statistical measure I can find over the course of their respective careers, including quarterback rating (45.6 for Hill to Bradfords 40.5), but the differences are modest and Hill is eight years older. Bradford should give the Vikings a higher floor than the one they had with Hill, especially given the possibility that Hill might have been injured and the Vikings might have been forced into playing Taylor Heinicke or Joel Stave.Bradford can run an offense similar to the one offensive coordinator Norv Turner ran last year with Bridgewater. The Vikings had a quarterback in Bridgewater who was capable of protecting the football, making accurate short- to medium-distance passes and working with run-pass options. When Bradford is on his game, hes capable of doing all of those things. His interception rate is better than league average. He was executing RPOs or at least showing those sorts of looks on just about every series with Chip Kelly and Philadelphia last season. And Bradfords certainly comfortable checking the ball down, though his completion percentage on passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage as a pro is actually below league average (66.5 percent against an average of 69.1 percent).Thats where you start getting into the problems with Bradford.Hes not Bridgewater in terms of his accuracy, as the former Louisville star completed 73.2 percent of his passes in that same 10-yard bracket during his first two professional seasons. Bradford is not going to threaten teams with his feet in even the modest way that Bridgewater has as a pro, limiting the effectiveness of those RPOs. And the former first overall pick is a perennial injury risk himself, having missed 33 of 96 possible starts during his six-year pro career.If there was a ceiling to Bradfords game, maybe this would make more sense, but if Bradford was going to break out, wouldnt it have happened by now? Ive seen suggestions that Bradford elevated his game during the final few weeks of the 2015 season after returning from an injury, but Im skeptical. Bradfords numbers did improve over his final five games -- he completed 67 percent of his passes, averaged 7.3 yards per attempt and threw eight touchdowns against four picks while averaging 286 yards per contest -- but his QBR over that stretch was still a 49.7, which was just below Johnny Manziel for 22nd.Look closer at that stretch and a lot of the gloss wears off. He beat the Patriots in a game in which he threw for 120 yards and the New England special teams self-destructed. He threw for 247 yards and a touchdown against a Bills pass defense missing Stephon Gilmore, their top corner. Bradford went for 368 and two touchdowns against the Cardinals, but it was in a 23-point loss in which Bradford also threw two picks and lost a fumble. He lost another fumble for a touchdown against Washington in a 14-point loss, in a game that needed 56 attempts to get to 380 yards. Bradford finished with 320 yards and two touchdowns (with a pick) against the Giants, who had the leagues fifth-worst pass defense. Its also a five-game stretch amid a six-year career that has suggested Bradfords a below-average starting quarterback. This isnt even a Josh McCown-level flash.McCown is an interesting name to bring up because hes one of the quarterbacks Minnesota likely inquired about in trades. Spielman suggested several days ago that teams were asking for crazy things in return for a quarterback. Given that Cleveland just got a fourth-round pick as part of a swap for punter Andy Lee, it wouldnt surprise me if they asked for much more in return for McCown. Other teams likely felt equally as precious about the likes of Brian Hoyer and Mike Glennon.If that were the case, you can probably figure out how the Vikings contorted themselves into making this trade. If they felt it was absolutely necessary to acquire a veteran quarterback and had to have one by the end of the weekend, Minnesota very well might have thought that it was better to give up first- and fourth-round picks for Bradford than, say, a second-rounder for McCown or Glennon. I dont think that logic is sound or justifiable, but it is comprehensible.The acquisition of Bradford also speaks to the possibility that Bridgewater might not be ready for 2017. Glennon would have been a free agent after the year, while McCown will be 38 and might not be worth keeping around. The same could be true of Bradford, but after this trade, the Vikings have him on a relatively friendly contract. Bradfords cap hit for 2016 is $7 million, and the Vikings basically have a one-year unguaranteed option for Bradford for 2017 at $17 million. If Bradford plays well this year, Minnesota could have franchised him next year for something in the $20 million range, but that would have been guaranteed money. Now they can wait and see how Bridgewaters knee heals. If hes ready, given this market, its fair to say that theyll likely find a trade partner to recoup something from the Bradford deal.As for the Eagles, their second contract with Bradford comes to a premature end. They paid Bradford $11 million in bonuses as part of his two-year, $35 million deal, with $5.5 million of that just hitting Bradfords bank account on Thursday. They incurred the opportunity cost of starting Bradford throughout training camp and the preseason without handing those reps to Chase Daniel or first-round pick Carson Wentz (who probably wouldnt have taken them anyway with his rib injury), but essentially that $11 million paid for first- and fourth-round picks.Most NFL teams would happily pay $11 million for a mid-first round pick if they had the opportunity. (In fact, I wonder whether a team like the Browns might think about signing a veteran quarterback each offseason in the future for the sole intent of trading them in August.) The selection is even more valuable for the Eagles, who are pick-starved after the deal to trade up and grab Wentz. Their first-round pick in 2017, now the property of Cleveland, is likely to be more valuable than the one theyve acquired from Minnesota, but to keep things simple, lets cancel out those two 2017 first-round picks and the fourth-rounder they sent in 2016 for the fourth-rounder theyre getting from Minnesota.Including the Dolphins trade, you can make the argument that Philly got Wentz and what will end up as a fourth-round pick from the Browns for their 2016 first- and third-round picks, a 2018 second-rounder, two players they didnt want (Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso) and the $11 million cost of holding onto Bradford. I dont know if thats a good trade, necessarily, but its far more palatable than the Wentz deal in a vacuum.Reports suggest the Eagles will turn to Wentz immediately as their starter if hes physically able to play, which seems aggressive. Wentz has missed most of the past three weeks of the preseason with a hairline fracture in his ribs, limiting his work in practice while preventing him from playing. Wentz suggested he would be ready for Week 1, but why rush him back into the lineup when you paid Chase Daniel $12 million in guarantees for this exact situation? If Wentz isnt physically ready, you run the risk of being forced to bench him for subpar play amid the famously forgiving Philly fan base, which wont do wonders for his reputation. If Wentz had been so convincing as to justify the No. 1 spot before the injury, the Eagles would have been giving him the No. 1 reps then, too. I have to admit that I dont see the harm in giving Daniel a couple of weeks as the starter before turning things over to Wentz permanently when hes physically ready.The same is true for Bradford in Minnesota. Vikings fans surely remember the lone disastrous start of Josh Freeman in purple and white, a Monday night game against the Giants in which Freeman went 20-of-53 for 190 yards while posting a 6.5 QBR. That start came two weeks after Freeman had been signed by the team, leaving him precious days to learn the playbook and Minnesota scheme, let alone develop any timing or rapport with his receivers. Freeman suffered a concussion late in the game and never played again for the Vikings.Bradford cant start in Week 1. It would be even more foolish and a quicker time frame than the one the Vikings gave Freeman, which was itself far too short. Were eight days out from Minnesotas opener at Tennessee and 15 from their home opener against Green Bay, the exact number of his days Freeman had before his start. Do you bring Bradford in then? Could he realistically even be ready? What about the following Sunday, when the Vikings travel to Carolina? Thats still probably too soon, but I dont think Minnesota can realistically wait any longer. Even as you move on to the Giants game in Week 4, hes still going to be learning all of this on the fly as Bradford (and Turner) prepare for each weeks specific matchup.The problem of Bradford being totally unfamiliar with Turner and his new scheme is why I think the most popular argument in favor of this trade doesnt make much sense. Smart people around the NFL have suggested that the Vikings needed to make this trade because they needed to compete while Adrian Peterson is still in his prime, and while I can understand the argument, I dont know how much the deal really helps.When Bradford has played in places where he had months and years to prepare, he hasnt been very good. What is going to click for Bradford in Minnesota (on no notice) which hasnt clicked for him elsewhere? After years of disappointing, as he figures his scheme out on the fly, why would he be any better in Minnesota?If anything, the most plausible outcome is that Bradford plays worse than he has elsewhere. Minnesota made this deal out of desperation to try to ensure a level of certainty at quarterback in an attempt to save their 2016. In acquiring Bradford, the Vikings are likely getting a certainty, but not the one they want. Outlet Salomon Online . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Scarpe Salomon Offerta . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. http://www.salomonoutlet.it/ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Scarpe Salomon Outlet . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Scarpe Salomon Uomo Offerta . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Hours after 18-year NBA professional Ray Allen announced his retirement, his former coach, Erik Spoelstra, was already nostalgic for a player he called truly one of a kind. The Miami Heat coach didnt have to be prompted to tell one Allen story after another.SPOELSTRAS ADMIRATION BEGAN?before he ever met the player, with extra practice.In the late 2000s, when the Heat were due to play Allens Celtics, Spoelstra kicked off every practice preparing the Heat for Allens Oh s--- moments. Those ones in which Allen would somehow, even though everyone was waiting for it, catch the defense blinking for a half a second and move into a different spot as if he was teleporting.Before doing anything else, we would just spend 20 minutes trying to prevent Ray from doing the unexpected -- the Oh s---, Spoelstra says now. You know, the Oh s---, howd he get there? or Oh s---, there he is! moments. Killed us for years.More often than not, the Oh S---! came with an Ah, s--- when he hit the shot.During Tuesdays news conference in Miami, Spoelstra found out that Allen had officially retired. Even though Allen hadnt played in two years, Spoelstra still was taken aback. Deep down, Spoelstra felt that Allens other-worldly work ethic and conditioning could keep the 41-year-old playing in todays NBA.... for another five years, Spoelstra says.SPOELSTRA REMEMBERS THE first time he met Allen. It happened one Thursday night during the first round of the 2010 playoffs when the fifth-seeded Heat had just been blown out in Games 1 and 2 in Boston.In an effort to unwind after a long flight to Miami and an even longer beatdown at the hands of Allens Celtics, Spoelstra decided to catch his favorite 6:30 p.m. spinning class at the local Four Seasons hotel. After the hourlong class, Spoelstra walked out the door and noticed a familiar face walking in for the next class at 7:30 p.m.It was Ray, Spoelstra recalls.This didnt make sense. Maybe it was a Ray Allen look-alike? Spoelstra dialed a Heat staffer, who confirmed that the Celtics had gone through a full practice earlier in the day and flew from Logan Airport down to Miami International Airport that evening.Spoelstra picked up his cell again, this time to dial the Four Seasons. Spoelstra needed to talk to the instructor.I was curious, Spoelstra recalls.Was that really Allen? Did he come in just to loosen up his joints after a long flight? A stretch to warm up the muscles? Maybe just a few minutes, right?The instructor, a devoted Heat fan, confirmed it was Allen.But dont worry about him, Coach, the Miami instructor told Spoelstra. I crushed him, double-time for an hour. He wanted it. But believe me, hell have no legs tomorrow.Allen torched the Heat for 25 points the next night.THE CELTICS WON Game 3 by two points and dispatched the Heat in five games, prompting the Heat to blow it all up and lay down a new foundation.Three months later, LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade with the Heat. The summer after the trio took down Boston and OKC en route to the 2012 title, Spoelstra and Riley met with Allen and later signed him.Spoelstra, of course, had heard stories about Allen. People called him Everyday Ray for a reason. He was obsessive and then some about his basketball routines. Hed come to the gym early and often, repeating the same motions, the same routes over and over.Like a wide receiver, Spoelstra says.But even still, Spoelstra couldnt believe what he saw during that first workout in September 2012, the week before Labor Day.Spoelstra laughs about it now. Allen was laying on his back under the basket. When a Heat assistant coach blew the whistle, Allen would get up off his back, backpedal to the corner as if being chased, and somehow precisely place his ffeet in the slot between the 3-point arc and the out-of-bounds line with only inches to spare.dddddddddddd All in one motion. All without looking down.After all that, Allen would catch a pass and rise up for a 3-pointer.Pat [Riley] and I invented so many dumb drills over the years, but that, Spoelstra recalls, that ... was a new one on us.After watching the then-37-year-old do it dozens of times, Spoelstra stopped him.What on earth are you trying to accomplish here?Allen replied matter-of-factly.Offensive rebound, say I get knocked down after a layup and need to jump out for the corner 3, Allen told him. Gotta get in the habit. You never know.Allen performed that drill religiously for the ensuing weeks. And nine months after that September workout, Allen made perhaps the most famous clutch 3-pointer in NBA Finals history to force a Game 7.Offensive rebound. Backpedal out to the corner 3. In one motion, without looking down. Bang.IT WAS DECEMBER 2, 2012, in Washington D.C., and the Heat were finishing up a grueling practice ahead of a Wizards game. The team had three days between games, so Spoelstra decided to orchestrate one of the hardest practices of the season. Players groaned. They had just won six straight. Why the punishment? After practice, the whole team had started to gather their stuff for the bus. Allen stroked his shots as he normally does after practice.What was not normal: he was putting on a winter hat and gloves to go outside.Spoelstra told him to suck it up. Yeah, there was snow on the ground outside, but all of fifteen feet separated the gym door to the team bus. Allens hands couldnt endure the chill for two seconds?Apparently, Allen had other ideas.Ill see you at the hotel, Allen said. Im going for a run.The hotel was at least three miles away. The reigning MVP LeBron James saw Allen bundling up. So the uber-competitive James also suited up and jogged with him.Just a casual 5K among future Hall of Famers after practice.DURING THEIR TIME in Miami, James often tried to walk in Allens footsteps. He held rare, genuine reverence for his teammate of two years as if they had been teammates his whole career. In the 2013 playoffs, James even copied Allens routine at the free throw line. Three dribbles. Spin the ball. Collect. Rise off the heels. Release. He shot about 80 percent for the rest of the playoffs.Allens fingerprints can still be found on James game. That physics-defying pass?to Mike Dunleavy in the corner? That was a version of the hammer play that the Celtics used to run for Allen. Look it up. Doc Rivers drew it to free Allen for the game-winning shot in the 2011 playoffs against the New York Knicks. Except in that version, it was Kevin Garnett, not Tristan Thompson, setting the screen. Spoelstra stole it for James and Allen to use in Miami.The play tortured us for years, Spoelstra remembers.SINCE HE LAST played in the NBA, Allen has been in Miami with his family, helping to get his healthy fast-food restaurant off the ground in South Miami. You might know hes just about a scratch-golfer. In Miami, he once turned down a tee-time invitation from President Barack Obama because he had shootaround that morning with the team.But heres what you may not know: Hes a devoted long-distance runner now, taking part in community charity races to build up his stamina.On his daily drive to AmericanAirlines Arena, Spoelstra often spots a 6-foot-5, chiseled man with no shirt on, galloping in a fierce stride underneath the ruthless South Florida sun.Who is that? Spoelstra thinks to himself.It gets him every time.Oh s---, Spoelstra gasps. Its Ray. ' ' '