Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Insider Buzz: NFL Teams Want Sam Bradford, If Released, over Mariota & Winston
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zn.
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February 9, 2015 at 11:47 pm #18255
znModeratorThere is a chance that St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford could be released this offseason.
How do other NFL teams view Bradford? Would he be more coveted than top draft prospects such as Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole discuss free-agency buzz in the video above.
See the vid:
February 10, 2015 at 12:10 am #18258znModeratorNFL Rumors: Teams prefer Sam Bradford over Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston
Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole revealed an interesting tidbit in a recent video report. According to Cole, there are NFL teams at the top of the 2015 NFL draft order that aren’t very interested in either quarterbacks Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. Full quote here:
“This is really fascinating because there are teams that are sitting at the top of the draft, according to executives that I’ve talked to, who would believe that they would prefer to have Sam Bradford, who’s 27 and coming off basically missing the last year and a half of his career — that they would rather have then take a chance on, say, somebody like Marcus Mariota or Jamies Winston because they have seen what Bradford can do. One caveat to this is: is Bradford healthy or not coming off of two ACL surgeries? But the belief is: take a shot with Bradford and save your first round draft pick and take somebody else.”
If true, this is pretty interesting. Bradford obviously hasn’t panned out the way the Rams hoped he would when they picked him No. 1 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Bradford has struggled to stay healthy. He’s a 58.6% career passer who has thrown 6.3 yards per attempt, 59 touchdowns, and 38 interceptions in 49 games started. Bradford will enter 2015 on the last year of his bloated rookie contract. The Rams are reportedly trying to restructure Bradford’s contract, but the team can release him to save nearly $13 million in cap space by cutting him. It doesn’t seem impossible that he could spring loose. If that’s the case and he hits the market, Bradford will automatically be one of the best options in a weak free agent QB class.
So, given the nature of this blog, how does a Bradford release potentially impact the Eagles? Some thoughts:
• Maybe this makes the idea of the Eagles trading up for Marcus Mariota, which they are reportedly “going to try” to do, more realistic. Maybe the teams at the top of the draft aren’t really solid on the top rookie quarterbacks and would rather have a “proven” option. Considering Lovie Smith (Buccaneers) and Ken Whisenhunt (Titans) are both veteran coaches who could want to “win now” as opposed to suffering through the growing pains of a more long-term build, this could make some sense. By signing Bradford and making a trade with the Eagles, a team could address their QB position while acquiring a bounty of picks (and/or players) in the process.
• Alternatively, if the teams at the top keep their picks and don’t take quarterbacks, it could cause Mariota to fall in the draft order. Some have already suggested the possibility of a draft day slide for Mariota.
If the Rams are getting rid of Bradford, though, then who is their quarterback going to be? They’ve seen enough of Shaun Hill and Austin Davis to know they’re not answers. Hill is going to be a free agent anyway while Davis is a restricted free agent. If the Rams get rid of Bradford, they’d likely be in the market for drafting quarterback…
• …or perhaps trading for one. Remember those recent rumors about St. Louis being interested in Nick Foles? If the Rams release Bradford and acquire Foles in a trade, the Eagles would receive some kind of bounty in return. The Eagles could then use those assets in order to help complete their trade up for Mariota. It all adds up! Or maybe the Rams would just try to get Mariota or Winston.
• Or how about this possibility: what if the Eagles would be interested in Bradford? There are already rumors about the Eagles being interested in a reclamation project like Jake Locker. Bradford would be a more intriguing option, and it’s worth pointing out the connection he has with current Eagles and former Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Then again, Bradford would likely have a better chance to earn playing time elsewhere if the Eagles are still truly committed to Foles as the starter.
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OK, so there is a lot of hypothetical involved here. The Rams could just keep Bradford and all of my conjecture could be for naught. But if he does get released, it could have an interesting impact around the league. At the very least, it’s a situation to keep an eye on.
February 10, 2015 at 10:46 am #18267
rflParticipantThe whole thing with Bradford is one of those frustrating situations Rams are unfortunately used to.
As all know, I think his health is seriously compromised and a team cannot responsibly entrust a season to it.
But.
He is a very solid, effective QB. A Top 5 stud? No. But, Lord. The league has a lot of starting QBs not in his league.
This article gives a flash of that reality. Underneath the hype and punditry, the league knows. Bradford is a solid QB.
His main question is whether you can trust his body to remain healthy.
By virtue of the absurd ...
February 10, 2015 at 11:18 am #18269
wvParticipantWell, they are not letting him go. They may not trust him
but they are not letting him walk.Seems to me, Bradford has all the cards. I keep
hearing he has to take a pay cut to stay,
but i dont see what leverage the Rams have.w
vFebruary 10, 2015 at 12:04 pm #18272
joemadParticipantRams have to keep him, they have no other option at this position.
February 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm #18273rflParticipantWell, they are not letting him go. They may not trust him
but they are not letting him walk.I don’t think that’s in doubt at all. If he stays healthy, he is, probably in all of our opinions, the very best option the Rams have.
The issue of re-negotiating is trickier. I can see that going either way, actually. I guess I would predict that a new contract won’t happen until or unless A) the team developed a specific opportunity for a FA acquisition and B) Sam agreed it would really improve the team and his chances of success. For example, a major OL upgrade. But, I don’t know that it matters much in itself.
To me, the whole question, as I’ve said often, is whether they can get QB 1A through FA or the draft. I don’t know whether they can. But I believe it is crucial that they find a way to do it. Guys like Hill, Davis, and Clemens ain’t good enough.
By virtue of the absurd ...
February 10, 2015 at 2:19 pm #18280
ZooeyModeratorWell, they are not letting him go. They may not trust him
but they are not letting him walk.Seems to me, Bradford has all the cards. I keep
hearing he has to take a pay cut to stay,
but i dont see what leverage the Rams have.w
vHe could take a pay cut as part of an extension. I mean…he’s not giving up the money, but he might defer it into the future. His incentive to do that is that an unproductive year this year leads to a greatly reduced offer for his second contract. He could be better off signing an extension now. Both sides may want to see how it goes during the season, though, and it may depend upon how badly the Rams feel they need to free up cap space.
February 10, 2015 at 2:59 pm #18282
WinnbradParticipantWell, they are not letting him go. They may not trust him
but they are not letting him walk.Seems to me, Bradford has all the cards. I keep
hearing he has to take a pay cut to stay,
but i dont see what leverage the Rams have.w
vYeah, that’s what I think.
Maybe I’m missing something obvious, it happens a lot, but why would Bradford take any pay cut at all?
If the Rams *won’t* cut Bradford, then it seems he has nothing to gain by taking a pay cut.
So for me, the big question is, would the Rams cut him?
What are Bradford’s “most likely” options?
1. He plays the season under his current contract, stays healthy, plays 16 games, and probably has a decent to good season. He’s capable of that. At the end of the season, either the Rams pay him, or someone else will.
2. He plays the season under his current contract, gets hurt, and still gets paid everything that’s owed him. After that, he may not play again in the NFL, but I’m fairly certain some team would take a chance on him at a dirt cheap price. Won’t be the Rams, though.
So If I’m Bradford, I don’t see any reason to take a pay cut. Maybe he’d “take one for the team”, as they say, but I don’t know.
February 10, 2015 at 3:35 pm #18288
DakParticipantHe might negotiate if he thought that he couldn’t gain back the money in free agency that he’d lose if getting cut. But, would the Rams really cut him? I think he knows better. Not as things go right now, anyway. The Rams have no Plan B. And, I just don’t see a Plan B emerging at this point, unless the Rams dangle a premium pick for Foles.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by
Dak.
February 10, 2015 at 3:35 pm #18289rflParticipantMaybe I’m missing something obvious, it happens a lot, but why would Bradford take any pay cut at all?
If the Rams *won’t* cut Bradford, then it seems he has nothing to gain by taking a pay cut.
Well, an extension could give him an incentive. Suppose the Rams offer an extension. 3 or 4 years. Some amount of guaranteed money that adds up to MORE than the 16 M he gets for this year, but also frees up cap space. The short term pay cut COULD provide a long term raise.
And, he’d be getting paid longer and have reason to hope the team would be motivated to keep giving him opportunities. Despite the speculation about league interest, relying on other teams is a real crap shoot, especially with his injury history. Someone would sign him. But would they offer peanuts compared to what the Rams might offer in a re-negotiation?
Of course the real crux of the issue is the portion that is guaranteed. The man is very vulnerable to career-ending injury. I mean everyone is, but a 2-time ACL loser?
Now consider this question. Is Sam willing to bet on himself? The Rams could offer a deal for 4 years with top-half NFL starting QB money which is dependent on performance. Incentives, but more significant in his case merely non-guaranteed money. If he stays healthy and plays well, he earns much more than the 16 M. But if he flames out, not so much. Is Sam willing to bet on himself?
And remember that Kaepernik just signed a huge contract with a boatload of performance-based money. He’s younger and fitter, but, it’s not impossible.
There are creative ways to incentivize Sam to re-negotiate. The question is whether the Rams want to spread out their bet on Sam or compress it to 1 season.
By virtue of the absurd ...
February 10, 2015 at 7:24 pm #18301znModeratorI keep
hearing he has to take a pay cut to stay,
but i dont see what leverage the Rams have.w
vI really do not anticipate a “pay cut.” That’s just the kind of fantasy some fans have, ones who believe that a player is “worth” x y or z amount, when the reality is contracts are determined by market dynamics in the NFL, not some x dollars per touchdown metric.
My bet is he gets extended…with incentives and roster bonuses tossed in.
That way he gets paid if he plays and if he can’t the cap hit is reduced.
Really, the last thing I expect is this flat-out, naked “take a paycut” thing.
I think that because to me, Demoff is too sophisticated about the cap for that and so is Bradford’s agent, who is a well-regarded, heady old pro.
February 11, 2015 at 3:59 pm #18330
HerzogParticipantI believe Bradford would have had an amazing year. But he’s fools gold right now. How many seasons has he stayed healthy even 70 percent of the time? What’s the definition of insanity?
It’s really disappointing that we have NOBODY waiting in the wings.
I can understand the appeal to other teams…. bad quarterback classes usually yield people like Mark Sanchez in the first round.
February 11, 2015 at 5:27 pm #18334znModeratorIt’s really disappointing that we have NOBODY waiting in the wings.
How many teams do?
Rams struck gold in 98-2002 when they had Green, Warner, Bulger.
But let’s say Eli, Flacco, or Brees go out. Who is behind them?
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