Will the Rams start Sam Bradford in week 1?
by Ryan Van Bibber on Apr 23, 2010 8:52 AM CDT
in 2010 NFL Draft
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PrintAccording to GM Billy Devaney, the St. Louis Rams do not plan to throw first overall pick Sam Bradford to the wolves right away. Instead, the Rams new quarterback will have to prove he's ready. How soon could that be?
The standard being offered for when Bradford will start for the Rams leaves plenty of wiggle room.
When he gives us the best chance to win, that's when he will play quarterback.
Timing is everything. A good showing in August could put Bradford in the running to start week one. Or, the Rams could go with A.J. Feeley out of the gate and hand the reigns over to Bradford later in the season.
The later is the most likely scenario. Last year, the Rams made OT Jason Smith, the second overall pick in the draft, fight for his starting job on the right side. Smith got the starting nod the week before the team's season opener in Seattle.
Given the duties of a QB, it's not unreasonable to think the Rams won't wait a little longer with this year's top pick. For one, they'll want to make sure the offensive line is able to pick up where they left off last year, before a rash of injuries took their toll. The Rams were very reluctant to hand the starting job over to Keith Null after Marc Bulger was lost for the season. Two weeks of Kyle Boller changed their mind, but even then Null still looked pretty raw.
Bradford comes from a competitive D1 school, having faced some of the toughest defenses in college football. He definitely brings with him a higher level of readiness for life in the NFL than other QBs. Something else to consider, is the team around him. We mentioned the offensive line above, and there's evidence that the Rams OL was a much better unit than injuries and the stat sheet would have you believe. Having Steven Jackson, who would still figure to be the Rams primary offensive weapon this year, gives a young QB some comfort too, especially if they run the play action. What kind of offensive playmakers the team adds over the course of this weekend and beyond will have some say in the matter as well.
Whether Bradfords starts the season under center (or in the shotgun) for the Rams adds an extra wrinkle to August training camp. The preseason never looked so good.
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LOL, Come week 1...
Bradford and his $50M bank account are going to be standing out there under center, ready or not. Let me know if those butterflies are the same as the ones you got before some guy called your name over the PA inside Radio City.
It also depends on
how he looks in practice. If he looks better than AJ Feeley, or close to Feeley, they’ll start him. AJ Feeley, career backup and former 5th round pick, is now the standard of excellence for Sammy Bradford.
Two picks that p-ed me off
Gresham to Cincy and Hughes to Indy. How much would you guys have loved to hear their names at #33?
Looks like the Clausen/Bradford debate wasn’t much of a debate after all. Had to be those speedo pictuers.
We could have ...
Picked Suh or McCoy and heard Clausen or McCoy ay #33. Hind sight I know but what could have been.
Need another QB
I think if the rams want to sit Bradford for part or all of the season, we need a better starting QB. Haven’t seen AJ play, and kind of worried we will be in the same boat as last year. The OL will start strong but no good QB to play. Plenty of QB’s out there that I would play before AJ.
by crashoveride01 on Apr 23, 2010 10:23 AM CDT reply actions
I've said it a dozen times, this is the trade the Rams need to pull:
Null + 7th for Campbell
This would take pressure off of Bradford and gives us a band aid until he’s ready to start.
I've said it a dozen times
If you really want Campbell, you can get him AFTER the draft for dirt cheap. Possibly cheaper than the ’Skins got Carriker.
If ready?
I would say a week 1 start would be best. Reasons:
1. OL line will probably be at the healthiest level
2. Not sure how to convey this but needs to start developing those intagibles in game situations (leadership, durabilty, etc).
3. Needs to work with starting team’s WR group to develop that “communication” skill with them.
4. Spags and BD has their jobs riding on this guy.
I agree completely
Especially with # 4, if Bradford suffers a serious or injury or is just a flat out bust, it puts back the franchise at least another 4-5 years. If he’s good, it puts back into contention in the next year or two. It’s a make it or break it pick.
In a year or two?
Be fair, we are picking top 5 (maybe top 3) again next year. The year after I want us to pick up 5 or 6 wins and in SB14 year 3, we go for 8 or 9 wins.
We’ve got the best QB in the draft, but for 2 years he is not even near the best QB in the division let alone the NFL, so IMO us fans need to hold realistic targets. Let us not forget we weren’t 1-15 last season simply because we had Bulger starting.
If SB14 works out faster than that it’s fantastic, but don’t we need to avoid this becoming make or break for the sake of the team?
ESPN is reporting
that the BIlls and Browns have contacted us about pick 33. Bidding war?
Not until SB14 is ready
We have just invested in him as a 10 year answer at QB not some quick fix. Why ruin that by demanding he start too soon?
Just because we are about to pay him a stupid amount of money, that does not mean we should expect him to develop any differently than any other rookie QB. We are going to have to nurture and develop him as a pro QB. If he needs to sit all year, then he sits all year. We simply cannot allow him to bust, and thus the coaches have to prepare him correctly over time.
Doesn't depend only on Sam
If we get through camp and into preseason and the O-Line is looking like a mess or if the injury bug hits, then there is no way Bradford starts. Whether he’s ready or not, Spags & Co will sit him out.
Sam’s a long term solution not a short term fix. Why risk such a huge investment? Really, does anybody think that we’re going to be in playoff contention this year? I think most people would agree that a 4-5 win season would be a strong show of improvement. So are we going to throw a rookie out there early to take the bullets for such a season? Look at Stafford. He shows some nice things on the field and gets injured. We can not let that happen here. Let AJ start and take the heat early, then bring in Sam.
I would be absolutely sick if Bradford gets killed like Joey Harrington did and then bounces around the league.
by Brendan W on Apr 23, 2010 11:50 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I don't want a short fix.
I want Bradford to develop; I don’t want him starting until he’s ready to play every down. Give me Feely for half of the season, that would be okay if Bradford isn’t ready.
"And on the first day of Spring, number one has fallen."
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