Cutting Sam Bradford

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Ramhusker

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Patience grasshoppers! Let's focus on Shaun Hill for the next 22 weeks!!!!! (see what I did there?:sneaky:)
 

fearsomefour

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I'm sure the FO is considering the severity of the injury, post surgery prognosis, cap impact along with several other things.
As a fan who only cares about winning a good deal of it depends how the season plays out. If the young team proves good and playoff ready the team needs a QB now. Bradford cap number is close to middle of the pack for next year, 11th or 12th before Smiths' deal.
If Hill tears it up they will have to pay him to keep him.
Too early to project. It doesn't make sense for Bradford to refuse to restructure just to get paid way less somewhere else.
The team has been built to start winning now. A good QB is going to cost about what SAMs number is now.
Will be interesting to see.
What I want to avoid is to have a great D, Oline, running game and have a rookie QB.
 

AZRamsFan93

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I'm sure the FO is considering the severity of the injury, post surgery prognosis, cap impact along with several other things.
As a fan who only cares about winning a good deal of it depends how the season plays out. If the young team proves good and playoff ready the team needs a QB now. Bradford cap number is close to middle of the pack for next year, 11th or 12th before Smiths' deal.
If Hill tears it up they will have to pay him to keep him.
Too early to project. It doesn't make sense for Bradford to refuse to restructure just to get paid way less somewhere else.
The team has been built to start winning now. A good QB is going to cost about what SAMs number is now.
Will be interesting to see.
What I want to avoid is to have a great D, Oline, running game and have a rookie QB.
Well it looked like Sam was healed and ready to go this year didn't it? How can we trust it will be good next year - even if it looks like it? We have to draft a QB for the future. Sam is not a reliable plan.
 

Jumava1968

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I wanted like everyone else for Bradford to come back this year and show he was worth all the money the number 1 pick used to command.But it is what is a very talented young man with unfortunate injuries throughout his career,and if he does come back next year we would be foolish to think that other teams players would not target his knee.So as much as I hate to admit and say it the time has come to move on from Sam Bradford
 

HE WITH HORNS

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The thing about Bradford is, he's had two serious injuries. The shoulder in college, which has healed 100%. And the ACL in the left knee that didn't heal up entirely and got reinjured.
If his knee heals up properly, then he in theory could end up playing for 10 more years. I'd hate to just cut him outright and watch him go to another team and do well.
We would have to base our decision on whether we could find someone as good or better to replace him with. As of right now, we have no such option.
Maybe there will be someone that comes up in free agency or the draft that could fit the bill, but that's to be determined.
 

AZRamsFan93

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The thing about Bradford is, he's had two serious injuries. The shoulder in college, which has healed 100%. And the ACL in the left knee that didn't heal up entirely and got reinjured.
If his knee heals up properly, then he in theory could end up playing for 10 more years. I'd hate to just cut him outright and watch him go to another team and do well.
We would have to base our decision on whether we could find someone as good or better to replace him with. As of right now, we have no such option.
Maybe there will be someone that comes up in free agency or the draft that could fit the bill, but that's to be determined.
We will have to see, but the biggest problem is the salary cap. How can we go into next season committing $16M to such an uncertain situation? That's too much risk. Coaches and GMs have been fired for less.
 

fearsomefour

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Well it looked like Sam was healed and ready to go this year didn't it? How can we trust it will be good next year - even if it looks like it? We have to draft a QB for the future. Sam is not a reliable plan.
There is no sure thing. If the Rams have a decent season and are drafting late first round it makes it tougher to select a guy who is "the guy".
My real point is this. If the team comes together as designed this year and next and the team is stuck throwing a rookie QB in there we are looking at a couple of years for that player to develop. This team is built to start competing now. The window is a little larger because we have the youngest team in the NFL.
Best case Hill lights it up and is resigned for less than Bradford would count against the cap. Who knows the odds of that. I am not excited about a rookie QB getting OTJ training with a team that is ready to win.
 

dieterbrock

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Find a way to draft Hackenburg at all cost. Until then keep Bradford.
Best QB prospect I've seen since Manning, maybe Elway. This kid is unreal.
Dont know how the Rams will get the #1 overall pick though

Back to the OP:
As for the Bradford future talk, nothing will be decided DURING the season. The season goes by so quick, the off season takes forever. Why bother worrying about something that wont vett out for 6-8 months?
 

moklerman

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My instinct and initial thought when he re-injured the knee was that was it for Bradford and the Rams. But looking at Alex Smith's current situation and career, it isn't unheard of for a QB to go through some real trials and tribulations and still have a career.

Smith was injured 3 times in his first 5 years, went through even more OC's than Bradford has and didn't really "arrive" until his 7th year. Since then, he's been pretty good though. With Bradford, the Rams have invested so much that I think it would be a mistake to just cut ties. Granted, some amendments need to be made but I have the feeling that Bradford will be back.

And I agree with that. But he's going to have to restructure his deal in some way, compete for the job and stay healthy. Rams don't need to go crazy for whoever the QB du jour is next year at the top of the draft, but they do need to have someone who can compete for the starting job and be a viable starter in the short term at least. I'm confident that Bradford would win a competition but hopefully he'll do what's right to help the team move forward.
 

Zaphod

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I'm still in the state of mind that says move on, or at least plan for it. The window of opportunity may instead be what can we do with that rookie QB contract?

True, drafting the future quarterback now would set this team back, but Bradford's absence on the field already has, two years in a row now.

I just have to admit, I have no idea how this will play out.

But as a fan, I just want to see this offense push on (like Flintstone) as fast as they can without Sam Bradford. Yeah, that's where I am right now, where we are this season. Can't wait to see how it plays out.
 

moklerman

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Seems like it's going to be draft or...nothing seemingly spectacular:

2015 FA QB's:

QB Matt Blanchard UFA Carolina Panthers
QB Tom Brady UFA New England Patriots
QB Jason Campbell UFA Cincinnati Bengals
QB Jimmy Clausen UFA Chicago Bears
QB Matt Flynn UFA Green Bay Packers
QB Blaine Gabbert UFA San Francisco 49ers
QB Rex Grossman UFA Cleveland Browns
QB Matt Hasselbeck UFA Indianapolis Colts
QB Shaun Hill UFA St. Louis Rams
QB Brian Hoyer UFA Cleveland Browns
QB Tarvaris Jackson UFA Seattle Seahawks
QB Josh X. Johnson UFA San Francisco 49ers
QB Seth Lobato UFA Miami Dolphins
QB Jake Locker UFA Tennessee Titans
QB Luke McCown UFA New Orleans Saints
QB Colt McCoy UFA Washington Redskins
QB Dan Orlovsky UFA Detroit Lions
QB Kyle Orton UFA Buffalo Bills
QB Carson Palmer UFA Arizona Cardinals
QB Mark Sanchez UFA Philadelphia Eagles
QB Matt Simms UFA New York Jets
QB Michael Vick UFA New York Jets
QB T.J. Yates UFA Atlanta Falcons
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Best QB prospect I've seen since Manning, maybe Elway. This kid is unreal.
Dont know how the Rams will get the #1 overall pick though

Back to the OP:
As for the Bradford future talk, nothing will be decided DURING the season. The season goes by so quick, the off season takes forever. Why bother worrying about something that wont vett out for 6-8 months?

Barring a disaster I am sure it is highly unlikely that they even sniff the first overall pick in 2016. But they could always throw an RGIII like haul at a team in an effort to get him!
 

Zombie Slayer

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The way I see it is that it's way too early to even really talk about this. The first thing that has to happen is for the season to play out. There are way too many variables at this point. Here are a couple I see:

-Hill plays bad or gets hurt. In which case we will see Davis and probably Keenum playing this year. If that happens they likely are drafting top ten. In that case you target a top qb in the draft in my opinion. Then go into the season with the rookie and whoever else is kept, signed as a FA, or resigned (Bradford, Hill, Davis, Keenum) in the offseason to compete. May the best man win the job.

-Hill plays well or great. In this case you resign Hill and have him the starter heading into next year. Draft a qb still in the draft and have anyone else resigned to compete.

This being said what I think the Rams should do at this point is to cut Bradford in the offseason and sign him to a lower paying contract. You can't pay him that much coming off of two knee injuries and the uncertainty with that. Have him work to win the starting job with whoever is on the roster still and drafted. At the very least he could be a good backup. That is all depending on if he would agree to that. But of course this all depends on what happens in the season. My opinion, as well as all of ours, could changed based on how the season plays out. If he agrees to take a pay cut I wouldn't mind seeing Bradford stick around. Like someone already said on here, it took Alex Smith a long time to become the qb he has been the last three years. I saw X post his record in that time and it was pretty impressive. Can't remember it now. Let's see how the season plays out first.
 

dieterbrock

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Barring a disaster I am sure it is highly unlikely that they even sniff the first overall pick in 2016. But they could always throw an RGIII like haul at a team in an effort to get him!
Well, you may remember, I dislike Penn State almost as much as you hate Notre Dame so there is no homerism with me at all.
I was raving about this kid Saturday before kickoff. He's worth the RGIII hall hands down.
Maybe the Rams can make a trade with a team for their 2016 1st rounder and we'll get lucky....
 

Demand n 1

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doc
"Dr. Paterno’s coauthors for “Incidence of Second Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury 2 Years after Primary ACL Reconstruction and Return to Sport” include Mitchell Rauh, PhD, PT, MPH, FACSM; Laura C. Schmitt, PhD, PT; Kevin R. Ford, MS; and Timothy E. Hewett, PhD, FACSM.
Disclosure information: Drs. Paterno and Hewett—no conflicts. Drs. Rauh and Schmitt and Mr. Ford—no information.
Mary Ann Porucznik is managing editor of AAOS Now. She can be reached at porucznik@aaos.org

Bottom Line
  • Young, active individuals who return to sport after undergoing ACL reconstruction are at high risk for sustaining a second ACL injury—in the same or the opposite knee—as long as 2 years after surgery."

  • We are asking Sam to come back from a second ACL in about a one year period. Not putting words in Dr.Paternos mouth but it seem very highly probable that a 3rd ACL tear would be waiting. Love Sam. Wanted Sam. Wish the best for him, but I have reviewed both tackles leading to ACL tears. My eyes tell me he is just not nifty. Kind of dorky when he runs and falls. I don't sign him or extend him.
 

Ram Quixote

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It doesn't make sense for Bradford to refuse to restructure just to get paid way less somewhere else.
The team has been built to start winning now. A good QB is going to cost about what SAMs number is now.

Well it looked like Sam was healed and ready to go this year didn't it? How can we trust it will be good next year - even if it looks like it? We have to draft a QB for the future. Sam is not a reliable plan.
So, the Rams can pick a young QB high in the Draft. Retain Hill, Keenum. Restructure Bradford. Best player becomes the starter. If Bradford isn't ready, PUP him. Maybe that doesn't work, but it could.
 

AZRamsFan93

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So, the Rams can pick a young QB high in the Draft. Retain Hill, Keenum. Restructure Bradford. Best player becomes the starter. If Bradford isn't ready, PUP him. Maybe that doesn't work, but it could.
If you PUP him you pay him $16M in cap killing salary to sit and watch.

Unless he takes a major pay cut we cannot afford to just keep him around.