Rams expected to take Sam Bradford No. 1
Rams expected to take Sam Bradford No.1
St. Louis released Marc Bulger earlier this week, so that means they will take a quarterback with the No.1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, right? Not so fast, armchair general managers. While most signs are pointing to the Rams taking former Oklahoma Sooners signal caller Sam Bradford with their first selection, a lot can change between now and the start of the draft on April 22. Will Billy Devaney trade down?
Pardon me if you’ve heard this one before: A quarterback will be taken No. 1 overall this year, ahead of the most dominant player in college football.
You can’t expect to build a strong team without a strong draft – look at the Washington Redskins – but success at the draft table isn’t something you can guarantee. Who knows in the end what kind of careers any of these young men will have?
And the risk gets bigger when you draft at the biggest skill position of them all. Look, if your dare, at the quarterbacks drafted first overall during the past decade:
2009: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
2007: JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders
2005: Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
2004: Eli Manning, San Diego Chargers
2003: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
2002: David Carr, Houston Texans
2001: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons
There’s a mixed bag of talent if I’ve ever seen one. But imagine getting your hands on a gem like Peyton Manning (No. 1 overall to the Indianapolis Colts in 1998). That’s the dream the St. Louis Rams have this year; it’s widely believed they’ll roll the dice and select Sam Bradford from the Oklahoma Sooners with their first pick. The Rams have cleared the way for the Bradford Era by releasing incumbent QB Marc Bulger, although GM Billy Devaney remains aloof about his plans for April 24.
Other than the inherent risk involved in drafting a quarterback, there’s not much to find fault here. Bradford operated in a pro-style system with Oklahoma and had an excellent “pro day” workout in front of scouts on March 29.
As for the shoulder he injured last year (a third-degree sprain of the AC joint that eventually required surgery), Dr. James Andrews has cleared the former Heisman winner medically, and there were no signs of trouble during Bradford’s workout.
Simply plugging Bradford into the lineup probably won’t do much for the Rams in 2010. They’re mired in last place on the Super Bowl futures market with betting odds of 150-1, and could be headed for another dreadful season like the 3-13 campaign (7-9 ATS) the Colts put up during Peyton Manning’s rookie year. St. Louis is going to have to make some improvements on the offensive line to keep Bradford upright and healthy – unlike Bulger, a two-time Pro Bowl pivot who ate 254 sacks in eight years with the Rams.
NFL scouts and GMs (and handicappers, too) have made big strides in recent years recognizing the true value of offensive and defensive linemen, and adjusting their drafts accordingly. OT Jake Long helped the Miami Dolphins improve from 1-15 (5-8-3 ATS) in 2007 to 11-5 (8-8 ATS) in 2008. DE Mario Williams joined the Houston Texans in 2006; they went from 2-14 (7-9 ATS) to 6-10 (7-9 ATS). Both men have already made the Pro Bowl.
Which brings us to the Detroit Lions with the No. 2 pick overall. They have a decision to make: protect Stafford by drafting OT Russell Okung from the Oklahoma State Cowboys, or shore up their terrible defense with DT Ndamukong Suh from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Suh is the better prospect of the two, and Detroit has a demonstrable need at his position (as well as other opportunities to improve the offensive line), so Suh looks like the correct pick here.
The Lions have already fallen from 80-1 to 100-1 on the Super Bowl futures market and aren’t likely to draw much action. However, they should definitely be worth a gander once the over/under numbers are posted for regular season wins.
The future looks bright as well for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (125-1), who have their eye on DT Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma – most draftniks have McCoy and Suh neck-and-neck as the top prospects in the draft. And the Redskins have a chance at redemption if they can get Okung fourth overall to protect newly acquired QB Donovan McNabb. Washington has moved from 50-1 to 30-1 on the futures market; with this being an “uncapped” year and the Redskins free to throw their money around, maybe this will finally be their year. Maybe.
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Originally Posted by goblue12
