Bradford, 12/30 … vid link

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  • December 30, 2014 at 8:27 pm #15071
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    Bradford: “I just want to get back on the field”(00:13:10:00)

    Sam Bradford speaks to the media following the conclusion of the St. Louis Rams 2014 season.

    http://www.stlouisrams.com/videos/index.html

    December 30, 2014 at 10:45 pm #15088
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    http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/156922/sam-bradford-has-unfinished-business-with-rams

    Tuesday, December 30, 2014
    Sam Bradford has unfinished business with Rams
    By Nick Wagoner

    EARTH CITY, Mo. — After listening to St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher talk Tuesday afternoon, a muddled quarterback position gained a little bit of clarity at least in terms of what the plan is moving forward.

    Part of that plan includes retaining veteran signal caller Sam Bradford. In their ideal world, the Rams could reduce Bradford’s $16.58 million salary cap number for 2015 by bringing him back on a more team-friendly deal. Beyond that, the Rams plan to add competition at the position, either via free agency or through the draft.

    How all of that plays out remains to be seen, but now would be as good a time as any to examine what’s realistic and what’s not when it comes to Bradford’s return. For a player who hasn’t played a regular season NFL game since Oct. 20, 2013, one would think the cost of keeping him around won’t be too strenuous against a salary cap.

    Sam Bradford
    Sam Bradford doesn’t want to walk away from the St. Louis Rams, but the economics might make his wish difficult.
    But that’s probably assuming too much given the dearth of quarterbacks available. For one, the 2015 quarterback class, both in free agency and the draft, is devoid of any surefire franchise quarterbacks.

    Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston headline a draft class that many analysts believe is one of the worst quarterback groups to come around in some time. Mariota and Winston aren’t without flaws and even if the Rams love them, they would have to make a bold move up from their spot at No. 10 to secure one.

    The free-agent market is even more bleak. Teams simply don’t let good quarterbacks walk away. In a league starved for talent at the position, there doesn’t figure to be any worthwhile or proven starters that will hit the market.

    Which then begs two questions. What Bradford could get on the open market if he was available? And what is his level of loyalty to the team that drafted him?

    “Up until yesterday when we had our exit meetings, I’ve been focused on rehab and our coaching staff has been focused on the season,” Bradford said. “It really hasn’t been any talk of the future.”

    Those talks should start soon, though. When asked if he’d be willing to take a pay cut, Bradford said he would allow his agent, Tom Condon, to handle the business side of things.

    From the Rams’ side, Fisher didn’t answer when directly asked if there was a consideration for bringing back Bradford on his current contract, but he strongly hinted that it wouldn’t be the team’s preference.

    “I’m not going to go into specifics because we have not had the time to sit down and discuss it,” Fisher said. “I appreciate the question, but I’m not going to answer that. I think it would make sense that both sides need to get together and work something out.”

    There are those around the league who think Bradford could get more than some might expect. In other words, a reworked deal might cost the Rams something in the $6-8 million range with incentives that could take it up to or past the current base salary of nearly $13 million.

    Bradford also made it clear Tuesday that he has much left to prove before his time in St. Louis is done. That doesn’t mean he’s going to play for free, but he pointed to a sense of unfinished business here as reasons that he’d like to return.

    “This is really the first place I have ever been away from home,” Bradford said. “I feel like I’ve really grown up here. I love this city. The people have been great. I can’t tell you how much support I’ve got. Whether it’s going out to the gas station seeing people, going out to eat and seeing fans, the people have been really encouraging and supportive so I really do enjoy it here.”

    The extent of that enjoyment will be put to the test as the Rams and Condon get down to business on what Fisher referred to as the “contractual standpoint” of the equation. Bradford has already earned in excess of $65 million since the Rams drafted him in 2010. In return, the Rams have gotten 18 wins and 59 touchdown passes.

    Bradford is a proud guy, the type who isn’t afraid to acknowledge that he hasn’t accomplished what he’d hoped since he entered the league. My sense is that he really would like to return and try to pay the Rams back for their continued commitment to him with plenty of victories.

    But when business begins and rubber has to meet road, much like the final year of Bradford’s contract, there are no guarantees.

    Agamemnon

    December 30, 2014 at 11:03 pm #15090
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    Rams want Sam Bradford back

    By Nick Wagoner
    ESPN.com

    http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12099938/st-louis-rams-want-sam-bradford-back-starting-qb-job-open?ex_cid=espnapi_public/print?id=12099938

    EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams’ quarterback job is officially open.

    Speaking to the media in his end-of-season news conference Tuesday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher made it clear the Rams would like to bring incumbent Sam Bradford back, but with the important caveat that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to him returning as the starter.

    “There’s going to be competition at the quarterback position, there’s no doubt,” Fisher said. “With somebody that is not in the building right now. We’re hopeful for that. You have to be realistic but I think we need to do that. Sam understands that. He doesn’t have any problem with competition. He’s been competing his whole life.”

    Bradford is currently in the midst of rehabilitating from a second torn left ACL in as many seasons. As he recovers from that injury, Bradford heads into an uncertain offseason in which it’s clear the Rams would like him back but under the right circumstances.

    Bradford is due to count $16.58 million against the 2015 salary cap with a base salary of $12.985 million. The Rams would save that base salary by releasing him but Fisher also made it clear the intent is to bring Bradford back at a reduced rate.

    “Sam and I have talked off and on throughout since the injury,” Fisher said. “We’re going to be getting together here soon. He’s very excited about the opportunity to come back and compete for a spot here. We have some work to do obviously from a contractual standpoint that I’m confident we’ll sort some things out.

    “I think it would make sense that both sides need to get together and work something out.”

    What that something is has yet to play out. Bradford said Tuesday that he has had conversations with Fisher and general manager Les Snead throughout the season and nothing has changed since the injury in terms of their relationship.

    Bradford also said that discussions of his future with the team have yet to take place. Clearly, the Rams would prefer to bring Bradford back cheaper while bringing in another quarterback either via free agency or the draft to compete with him.

    Bradford said he would embrace competition but obviously would prefer to come back as the starter. He also said he won’t worry about that until the first piece of the puzzle — his contract — is worked out.

    “If I’m here, that’s what I would expect,” Bradford said. “But we haven’t had really any talks about the future and what’s going to happen so until that progresses, I really don’t know.”

    Asked whether he’d be receptive to taking a pay cut or reconfiguring his contract, Bradford said that’s not necessarily something he will handle.

    “Obviously there’s a lot of things that can happen,” Bradford said. “I’m not really involved in that process. That’s why I’ve got an agent.”

    In the meantime, Bradford is focused on getting back to full strength. He plans to stay in St. Louis this offseason to continue his rehab and though he said he felt better after this injury than he did the first one, he and the Rams training staff will likely be a bit more deliberate in bringing him back than they were last year.

    Immediately after suffering the injury in August, Bradford said he had moments where he wondered if he ever even wanted to play again. He’s since moved past that and is now working to return.

    “It was really tough that first week after the injury,” Bradford said. “There was part of me for a couple days that I was done with football. I didn’t want to come back, I didn’t want to play, I was tired of rehabbing. I was just tired of the process. But when you step back and you are away from the game for awhile, then you come back and you’re in the building and you’re around your teammates, I quickly realized that I wasn’t done and that I wanted to come back and that I feel like I’ve still got a lot to prove.”

    If and when Bradford does return this time, he won’t just have to prove he’s healthy, he’ll have to prove he’s worthy of keeping his job.

    December 31, 2014 at 1:33 am #15096
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    Rams starting job not assured for Bradford in 2015

    By Jim Thomas

    http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-starting-job-not-assured-for-bradford-in/article_6b980f13-277a-5475-b3a7-b68007b2ccc0.html

    There will be competition next year for the Rams’ starting quarterback job. Coach Jeff Fisher made that official Tuesday. And Sam Bradford is OK with that.

    “I would accept it,” Bradford said, in his first comments to reporters since shortly after his season-ending knee injury in late August. “I feel like every time I step on the field, it’s a competition. Over the past couple of years, regardless of whether it’s been Kellen (Clemens) or Shaun (Hill), I’ve always thought of it as a competition. No matter who’s in that (meeting) room next year, I still feel that it’ll be a competition.”

    Even if it might, for example, involve a quarterback taken with a high draft pick?

    “It’s their decision,” Bradford said. “Obviously, if they feel like that’s in the best interest of this team, then I would support it and I would embrace the competition.”

    Bradford spoke Tuesday just before Fisher took the podium at Rams Park for his season-ending media session. Fisher made it crystal clear that the job wouldn’t be handed to Bradford in 2015.

    “There’s going to be competition at the quarterback position, there’s no doubt,” Fisher said. “With somebody that’s not in the building right now. We’re hopeful for that.

    “What that looks like, I can’t tell you right now — from a draft standpoint or from free agency. But he’ll be competing. We have some work to do obviously, from a contractual standpoint, but I’m confident we’ll sort some things out.”

    Bradford is due $13 million in base salary in 2015, the final year of his original contract out of college as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2010. Given Bradford’s injury history and the uncertainty of whether he can stay healthy for a full 16 games, the Rams would like to reduce that number.

    There have been preliminary talks on the topic between the Rams and Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, but there will be much more conversation along those lines over the coming weeks.

    Since there is no deadline involved, and no roster bonus due, there is no rush to get something done. But obviously, the Rams would be best served to have a resolution in place before the start of the NFL free agency and trading period March 10.

    What if the sides are unable to reach an agreement on a restructured contract for 2015? Is it possible the Rams would keep Bradford for the $13 million?

    “I’m not going to go into specifics, because we have not had the time to sit down and discuss it,” Fisher said. “I appreciate the question, but I’m not gonna answer that. But I think it would make sense that both sides get together and work something out.”

    Earlier, Bradford was vague when quizzed on that topic.

    “Obviously, there’s a lot of things that can happen,” Bradford said. “I’m not really involved in that process. That’s why I’ve got an agent. Until things continue, I really can’t say that much on that.”

    Overall, Bradford seems to have a realistic view of what might lie ahead career-wise in 2015, at one point saying “if I’m here” as part of a response to a question. It’s always possible that the Rams could end up attempting to trade him if an agreement can’t be reach on a restructured contract.

    But if he had a choice, Bradford feels like St. Louis is the best place for him to continue his career.

    “I do,” he said. “This is the first place I’ve ever been away from home. I feel like I’ve really grown up here. I love this city. The people have been great.

    “I can’t tell you how much support I’ve gotten, whether it’s going out to the gas station and seeing people. Or going out to eat and meeting different fans. The people have been really encouraging and supportive.”

    Bradford said his rehab is going well at this point and hasn’t involved as much pain as the knee rehab after his injury Oct. 20, 2013, at Carolina. The latest injury took place two months earlier in the 2014 calendar year, Aug. 23 in a preseason game at Cleveland.

    “I’ve been running for the past couple weeks,” Bradford said. “Really seem to have kind of turned the corner in the past three or four weeks as far as what I’m doing in rehab now. … There haven’t been any setbacks.”

    Bradford was even seen throwing the football on the side in practice last week, although he wasn’t taking seven-step drops or anything. A year ago at this time, Bradford was only about six weeks removed from surgery.

    “It just seems like this one was a lot less painful from the last time,” Bradford said. “I’m not really sure why that is. But it seemed like I got my range of motion back a lot quicker.

    “It seems like I’ve stayed a little looser. It seemed like last time everything in my lower body just tightened up because I imagine there was some compensation going on.”

    While less physically painful this time around, Bradford said the second tear to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) left him mentally and emotionally scarred — to the point he wondered if he wanted to continue playing in the immediate aftermath of the August injury.

    “Yeah. I’d be lying to you if I told you that there wasn’t (that feeling),” Bradford said. “It was really tough that first week after the injury. There was part of me for a couple days where I was done with football. I didn’t want to come back. I didn’t want to play. I was tired of rehabbing. I was just tired of the process.

    “Then when you step back and you’re away from the game for a while, and you come back and you’re in the building, and you’re around your teammates … I quickly realized that I wasn’t done, and that I wanted to come back. And that I feel like I’ve still got a lot to prove.”

    In particular, Bradford said a conversation with his former quarterback coach at Oklahoma, current Sooners offensive coordinator Josh Heupel, helped set him straight and restore his hunger for the game.

    “He kinda talked some sense into me a couple days after the injury,” Bradford said. “That’s a phone call that I’ll probably never forget.”

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