Gordon: Quit blaming Bradford for Rams draft failures

Tipsheet: Quit blaming Bradford for Rams draft failures
• By Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/tipsheet-quit-blaming-bradford-for-rams-draft-failures/article_ee569df9-5fa3-57f5-8f68-96b4f1f296b1.html

Quarterback Sam Bradford has taken plenty of blame over the years as the Rams stacked up losing seasons on his watch. Some of it was more deserved than others.

But the most ridiculous complaint about Bradford is that he has failed despite the tremendous offensive weapons surrounding him.

Tipsheet is a big fan of Bill Barnwell, who analyzes the NFL for ESPN’s Grantland vehicle. But Tipsheet begs to differ with Barnwell on this point:

It’s harder to make the case that the Rams haven’t done enough to surround Bradford with talent. Since drafting Bradford with the first pick of the 2010 draft, the Rams have invested heavily in weapons for him at wide receiver. In fact, using the Chase Stuart Draft Value Chart, the Rams have spent more draft capital on wide receivers than anybody else in football. St. Louis has spent a first-rounder (Tavon Austin), a second-rounder (Brian Quick, using the first pick of the second round), two third-rounders (Austin Pettis, Stedman Bailey), and three fourth-rounders (Greg Salas, Mardy Gilyard, Chris Givens) on wideouts over the past four years. And that doesn’t even include the fifth-round pick they traded for Brandon Lloyd in 2011 or their heavy investments at tight end, where they spent a second-round pick on Lance Kendricks before giving downfield target Jared Cook a massive deal in free agency. Bradford’s best receiver, after all of that, was undrafted free agent Danny Amendola. Not a single one of those receivers — who fit all kinds of makes and models — have lived up to their draft expectations. St. Louis is instead giving serious consideration to the idea of starting Titans castoff Kenny Britt at wideout this season. If three coaches and nearly a dozen receivers aren’t making things better in St. Louis, at what point is it the quarterback’s fault?

Here’s when: When one of these receivers or tight ends who failed with Bradford breaks out for another team.

Experts find it hard to believe that the Rams could have made that many personnel and coaching mistakes. Tipsheet finds it very easy to believe after watching this team play.

Salas got his shot elsewhere and did nothing. Gilyard got his shot elsewhere and did nothing.

If Bradford was their problem, then surely they would have excelled once somebody else started throwing them passes.

As for all these other would-be Pro Bowlers, let’s survey the field:

• Givens made some big plays as a rookie, then struggled with an ankle injury much of last season. He tried to step up his offseason conditioning this summer, but he has fallen down on the depth chart.

• Austin dropped a bunch of passes when Bradford was healthy last season and seldom got separation on downfield routes. (Experts liked to blame this on the play-calling offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.) Then scatter-armed Kellen Clemens replaced Bradford. Then Austin got hurt.

• Cook dropped a bunch of passes when Bradford was healthy. He could become a huge downfield threat this season if he learns to run his routes with conviction and IF HE CATCHES THE BALL.

• Kendricks drooped a bunch of passes as a rookie. He also suffered a broken finger last season and fell behind Cook in the passing game. He could be a decent threat this season on mid-range passes IF HE CATCHES THE BALL.

• Quick was a massive draft bust in his first two seasons. Shaun Hill targeted him on one deep route in the preseason opener and Quick couldn’t get clear. But he is having a decent camp, so perhaps he is finally ready to emerge.

• Bailey emerged as a very nice route-runner late last season. He has dazzled in training camp. But he will open the season by serving a four-game PED suspension.

• Pettis had a terrible first camp and later earned a four-game PED suspension. Since then he has evolved into a decent possession receiver.

And, yes, Britt is easily the best Rams receiver in training camp. Is this Bradford’s fault?

Or could it be, maybe, just maybe, some of the other receivers REEK OF MEDIOCRITY?

Just because these guys were high draft picks and/or got some big money doesn’t mean they are good football players. Maybe, just maybe, the Rams have done a terrible job drafting and coaching young receivers.

(BTW, Bradford helped receivers who were just spare guys elsewhere — Amendola and Brandon Gibson — put up numbers in St. Louis and get big money elsewhere as free agents.)

For the record, Tipsheet believes Bradford will have a solid season. The Rams will run the ball for nice chunks behind a sturdy offensive line and put him in lots of favorable down-and-distance scenarios. He should do some damage with play-action passes.

Britt and (eventually) Bailey will upgrade the receiving corps and both Austin and Cook should make more big plays IF Bradford can stay healthy.

Will Bradford justify his mind-boggling rookie contract? No. But maybe he will quit taking the fall for the various failed personnel men, head coaches, offensive coordinators and young receivers who have stumbled in and out of Rams Park.

MICHAEL SAM STOCK WATCH

Michael Sam’s preseason debut proved he can play in the league.

He still faces stiff job competition with the Rams, of course, but now other teams may rethink his viability as a depth defensive end.

Sports on Earth scribe Mike Tanier raised that point after reviewing Friday night’s game against the Saints. He wrote:

There is a very good chance that the Rams have no roster room for Michael Sam. (Robert) Quinn, (Chris) Long, (William) Hayes and Eugene Sims make four defensive ends: two Pro Bowl level players and two backups who can start for many teams. Michael Brockers, Kendall Langford, and (Aaron) Donald make three starting-caliber tackles. The eighth and ninth defensive linemen, if the Rams decide to keep them, will have to be versatile performers: ‘wave’ defenders who can play tackle or end, or speedy ends who can contribute on special teams. Sam cannot be the former. He is working to prove that he can be the latter, but it is an uphill battle. The Rams are almost as deep in quick-footed tough guys who can chase kickoff returners as they are in defensive linemen.

The Sam who reached the backfield a handful of times against the Saints simply may not be good enough to make the Rams roster. But he could make at least a dozen other rosters around the NFL. Because he received early playing time, scouting departments around the league can now see that.

Front offices around the league now also know that: a) the foundation of the team practice complex did not crumble when an openly gay player entered the locker room; b) neither the Westboro Baptist Church nor Oprah Winfrey descended on the complex to throw lamb’s blood or new appliances at players, coaches, and fans; and c) even the obligatory socio-political bibble-babble is just that, a controversy-of-the-week which, at its loudest, ranks about one-fourth a Manziel Unit of hype. Sam is shaping up to be a pretty good fourth defensive end, a hustle guy and a non-distraction.

However this story ends, Jeff Fisher did a world of good for the NFL by drafting Sam and then treating like just another job candidate — which was the best way for this scenario to play out.

ASSESSING JOHNNY FOOTBALL

In other NFL news, rookie Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel demonstrated his unique skill set in an otherwise tedious loss in Detroit.

Here is how some of our favorite pundits saw it:

John Clayton, ESPN.com: “Johnny Manziel labeled his debut a good start, but is he good enough to start in the regular season? Some excited people in the Browns’ organization apparently think so. He thrilled the crowd with his six runs. He was efficient with his short passing game, completing seven of 11 passes for 63 yards. Basically, he’s running the same type of offense Robert Griffin III ran for new Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan when they were together with the Washington Redskins. Here are my concerns: Most of Manziel’s 25 plays were from the pistol formation. While he is quick enough with his runs to extend possessions and get first downs, I wonder if he can generate enough big pass plays and score points. His longest completion was for 15 yards. He generated only a field goal of scoring, and that was on a drive that started on the Detroit 49-yard line. What became clear is that Manziel will be starting sooner rather than later.”

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com:” Let the kid play quarterback. Yes, Manziel is mobile and he’s short, but the book from all scouts and personnel people is that he’s a savant when it comes to the playbook and his reads. Creating gimmicky stuff presents the idea that he can’t handle playing in the pocket or the progressions. I disagree. And you can’t find out unless you let him. What I sense is the Browns want to create a package for Manziel to use during the regular season if (Brian) Hoyer is the starter. I also see it stunting his growth. Eventually you have to be able to play inside the pocket, as all mobile quarterbacks find out. Shanahan should know better. Look how ineffective his option runs were once Griffin got hurt. He was a different quarterback without the crutch of being able to run.”

Eric Adelson, Yahoo! Sports: “Only Manziel can create such theater during a boring preseason game in Detroit. The delight of watching him play is in knowing there’s always another web to tangle, always another predicament. There he was, on only his third play from scrimmage in the second quarter, hopping outside of the pocket and running into three Lions. He was stuffed for no gain – the Road Runner getting caught by the Coyote – and the haters reveled. But then there he was again in the third quarter, taking off on fourth-and-1, staring down oncoming linebacker Travis Lewis, and getting the first down by a whisper.”

Chris Burke, SI.com: “This was only the beginning. More than 50,000 fans, a noticeable smattering of them sporting ‘MANZIEL’ apparel, filed into Ford Field on Saturday night and a national-TV audience tuned in elsewhere. They wanted Johnny Football. They wanted to see what the Browns’ enigmatic and exciting rookie quarterback could do in an NFL offense, after months of speculating. He finally got his shot midway through the second quarter, in relief of starter Brian Hoyer. At times, he was quite good. At others, he looked off his game. What comes next is anyone’s guess — after his team’s 13-12 loss, Cleveland coach Mike Pettine would not even confirm that Manziel will start next week against Washington, as had been reported earlier. This was but the first tiny step in Manziel’s career arc. And he has a long way to go.”