Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN just released an article discussing Sam Bradford's need to deliver in 2014. It begs the question: how high do the Ram's draft a QB in this years draft (if at all)?
There was a lot of talk prior to last season that 2013 was Bradford's "make or break" season, but an ACL injury put said question off for another year. Aside from that, Sammy B was on pace for a solid season with 14 tds and 4 ints through 7 games. Despite the hot start in 2013 for Bradford, drafting a QB in an early-ish round would not be a bad play. To back up that statement up, here is the closing argument from Chadiha's article:
Bradford's career has been so up and down thus far that it's hard to know exactly how he'll respond to the pressure that comes from this season. It's also worth noting that Snead and Fisher didn't draft him, meaning their stakes in his future only go so far. Taking that into consideration, it is quite plausible that the Rams will try to light a fire under Bradford by adding some competition in next month's draft. The bigger question is whether Bradford actually delivers on all that promise that has followed him since his arrival in the NFL.
I love the way he concludes this article. Lighting a little fire under for Bradford makes great sense. In his short 4 year career, there has never been a question as to whether or not he would be the week 1 starter. It is important to see how he reacts in hopes that he will respond like a winner, but if something goes awry, the Rams would have contingency plan while also learning a lot about his character.
Chadiha also brought to light something that I had never really thought about: Snead and Fisher did not draft Bradford. While they have both publicly announced their loyalty and belief in Bradford, Snead and Fisher were not with the Rams when he was drafted, leaving them with fewer ties to keep him around if he can't 1) lead this team to an above .500 record and 2) stay healthy for a full year.
In my opinion, taking a QB in the 1st or 2nd round would be egregious, but using a 4th of 5th rounder on a guy like Arron Murray from Georgia would make a lot of sense. I am fully strapped in on the Bradford bandwagon, but another season ending injury -- or failing to recover from his previous injury -- would be a huge step back for the promising young Rams. Drafting a QB with some promise can help the Rams in so many ways, especially if we can get a steal in one of the mid to late rounds.
On a happier note, Bradford is ahead of the schedule in terms of recovery and here's gif to get the juices flowin.