Besides the unsettled future for the team in St. Louis, the Rams have a more pressing and current issue: will Sam Bradford be their quarterback next season?
That is a question that continues to be up in the air and one that could have a number of different answers with the options the team has at its disposal. The main one that at least from the Rams perspective would be ideal is having Bradford come back next season and see if he can be the starter for this up and coming team while being 100% healthy and ready to go. Rams GM Les Snead has confidence that the team and Bradford can find a way to come to an agreement that works for both sides:
“Contract wise, we’ll deal with him and his agents on that. I think it’ll work out,” Snead said. “We want a healthy Sam Bradford. It’s great to talk about. I like to look at the part where if he’s good for some team he’s good for us.”
You can understand why Snead does not want to lose him to another team in the league. Though he has been bit by the injury bug for most of his early years in the NFL, Bradford still has a big upside if he were to remain healthy. He is not the most mobile quarterback in the league but he is one that has a strong throwing arm and can be very accurate with his passing when he gets into a rhythm.
At only 27, he still has prime years left to showcase why he was such a valued quarterback coming out of the University of Oklahoma. Plus he knows the personnel well for the Rams and knows how his head coach Jeff Fisher wants to operate his offense. Losing Bradford would be a big blow to the Rams and their vision of what they want this team to look like heading into the new season.
Bradford does have options though of his own to look at and review with his camp. According to CBS sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, Bradford does have the option of seeking permission from the Rams about being traded. Now the market is very thin in terms of quality free agent quarterbacks available for teams to pick from. Bradford would be a very attractive option for teams to look at and take a chance on if he wanted to leave the Rams and take his chance on the open market.
It would come with transition and possibly tougher competition to win a starting job and at this stage their is no question Bradford wants to be a starting quarterback and be able to get regular snaps. If he stays with St. Louis, chances are he could get those snaps and have a very high chance to win the starting job.
The history between the two sides has been one that has found a way to work with each other and find a solution that works for both. I would not expect anything less this time around. The Rams need a starting quarterback who can take them to the next level and Bradford wants a shot at coming right back and playing a full season as the number one quarterback. This situation should be resolved at some point and one that results in a happy result for the Rams.
