Rumors that Sam Bradford would be unwilling to play for the St. Louis Rams should they select him with the first overall pick were squelched today by the big Oklahoman himself.
A guest on ESPN 101 radio's Bernie Miklasz show, Bradford told listeners that he had no reservations about playing in St. Louis...or anywhere for that matter.
...If they [the Rams] pick me, I would be in St. Louis.
You can officially put that issue to rest (hat tip to Toddius for the Fan Post). However, that still leaves a couple issues for the Rams.
We still have no idea about contract negotiations. It should be pretty cut and dried, since the Rams would have the most recent precedent possible for a QB taken with the first overall selection thanks to Detroit taking Matthew Stafford last year, like we noted recently. Pulling a JaMarcus Russell would also fly in the face of the image Bradford and his handlers are carefully creating, though that's hardly an effective predictor.
The Rams won't have their private workout with Bradford until April 19, the Monday before the draft, so it is very possible that they would not have a contract in place if the commissioner calls out Bradford's name for the Rams' first overall pick on Thursday, April 22.
This also doesn't rule out a trade offer from a team like the Redskins or the Browns. Leadership from both of those QB needy teams has been pretty forthcoming in their admiration for Bradford's potential. And both of those teams could make Rams' GM Billy Devaney an offer he can't refuse.
Still, it's nice to have the issue of whether or not Bradford would play in St. Louis if drafted by the Rams cleared up before the rumor mill started spinning out of control.