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Tipsheet: No easy QB answers for Rams
• By Jeff Gordon
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_99d8575c-c628-5573-af0d-f1d46f87acda.html
National experts were never excited about the Rams' playoff prospects this season.
And with Sam Bradford exiting the scene with another devastating knee injury, their prospects appear especially bleak.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher is asking well-traveled veteran Shaun Hill to step up into a game management role for a team that, fortunately, was already stressing defense and ball control.
General manager Les Snead is exploring the quarterback market, looking to add either a veteran for insurance or a potential developmental quarterback for 2015 and beyond.
Meanwhile, Austin Davis graduates from his previous "camp arm" role to the No. 2 QB role — at least for the time being. And offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer tears a few of the more ambitious pages out of his playbook.
This is not an awesome scenario for a young team playing in the NFL's toughest division and facing a daunting schedule outside of the NFC West.
Here is how the experts sized up this arm crisis:
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com: "Taking Sam Bradford No. 1 overall in 2010 NFL Draft was not a gamble by the previous St. Louis Rams regime. While he had a few detractors, Bradford was the consensus top player available. Keeping Bradford in 2012 despite having the No. 2 overall pick in the draft was a risk by the latest Rams brain trust. Keeping Bradford in 2014 despite his torn ACL and owning the No. 2 overall pick again was even more of a gamble. It sadly backfired on Saturday when Bradford tore his left ACL again. It's easy to say in hindsight that the Rams made the wrong decision, but there's no guarantee they would be better off with Robert Griffin III, Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel . The Rams made a tough choice and then got wildly unlucky. Bradford's contract complicated factors because it was signed before the new league's collective bargaining agreement. But the 'dead money' involved or Bradford's high salary don't explain why the new Rams brass stuck with Bradford. General manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher believe Bradford is a true franchise quarterback that was victimized by some difficult surroundings. We may never know if they were right. Bradford's career is hardly over, but the Rams can no longer count on him as their primary option at quarterback. It's anyone's guess whether they can work on a new contract for him to return next year. He's been an extremely difficult player to evaluate, even when things are right, displaying some positive traits without blowing anyone away. There is an entire generation of quarterbacks drafted after Bradford that have already accomplished more. And they won't face the brutal challenge of coming off back-to-back torn ACLs."
Eric Adelson, Yahoo! Sports: "That such an upsetting fate could befall Bradford is instructive as well as sad. Bradford is not a mobile passer. Neither is Tom Brady, who lost a season to a similar injury. Neither is Tony Romo, who has had chronic back issues. Neither is Peyton Manning, who has had four neck surgeries. Neither is Matthew Stafford, who had a series of shoulder injuries early in his NFL career, and was feared to be injury prone also. He too was mostly unlucky. So is Stafford's teammate, Ryan Broyles, who was one of Bradford's favorite targets at Oklahoma. Broyles broke the FBS record for receptions in 2011, and has three season-ending injuries since: left ACL tear, right ACL tear and ruptured Achilles. Granted, one ACL tear makes an athlete more likely to suffer another one – both in the same leg and in the other. But that doesn't get a player to 'injury prone.' Maybe 'ACL tear vulnerable' is applicable. Bradford and Broyles are both of those things. But it shouldn't be a scarlet letter on either man in a league where vicious hits (or even standard hits) can't be legislated out. In a profession where pretty much everyone works year-round to stay in the best shape possible, those who stay off the injured list are blessed more by extra fortune than extra skill. Everyone has skill in the NFL; not everyone has gloomy fate."
Nick Wagoner, ESPN.com: "Bradford is scheduled to count $17,610,000 against this year's salary cap. His number for next year is a daunting $16,580,000. And he's headed for his second left knee surgery in less than a year. Forgetting the Rams' inability to reach the playoffs or even post a winning record under Bradford's guidance for a moment, the harsh reality is that there's no longer any debate about whether Bradford should be the team's quarterback of the future. Once this season ends, Bradford will have missed 25 consecutive games over two seasons. In a five-year career, Bradford will have missed 31 of a possible 80 games, and that doesn't include time playing with a high ankle sprain in 2011. Whether or not you believe Bradford was the right man for the job is beside the point. He's now got a long enough history of serious injury that he can't be considered the team's quarterback of the future."
Jarrett Bell, USAToday.com: "Earlier this summer, Rams general manager Les Snead told me that he expected the team would re-sign Bradford before his contract expired after the 2015 campaign. Yet with another injury, the dynamics have changed. Barring another setback, Bradford would return during the final year of a contract averaging $13 million – and after injuries ruined his previous two seasons. Bradford should get a chance to prove that his health is intact before his contract expires, but given his recent luck that may be a big if. Even tougher could be both sides agreeing to his worth. Although Bradford came within a victory of leading the Rams to a division title as a rookie, the hard knocks since then have prevented him from living up to his existing contract. The Rams will have to square that, while mulling options for securing their future at quarterback – with or without Bradford. Even if they remain sold that Bradford is their long-term answer, his injury history could force the Rams to think hard next offseason about whether to draft another option."
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: "The challenge will be to consider whether to proceed with Austin Davis as the backup or to bring in a veteran who could provide perhaps a better insurance policy, in the event Hills gets injured, too. The Rams have the luxury of time, given that quarterbacks will soon be cut — and that some may be available in trade. Whatever the real plan, it’s no surprise that Fisher has chosen to publicly embrace Hill. Even if Fisher has misgivings about entrusting the team to Hill, the best play for Fisher at this point is to love the one he’s with, and to see whether there’s someone else out there he may love even more. It could be that Fisher ultimately loves Hill the best. In 1999, the Rams lost starter Trent Green to a torn ACL in the preseason. An even lesser-known backup named Kurt Warner took over the team, ultimately winning the Super Bowl over a Titans team coached by, you guessed it, Jeff Fisher."
Chris Burke, SI.com: "Barring any unforeseen developments, such as a proven No. 1 quarterback becoming available for some reason, the Rams' post-Bradford choices for 2014 fall into two categories: gambles or maxed-out performers. Any improvement on Hill almost certainly would come at a cost, one the Rams may not be willing to pay as they continue to stockpile talent through the draft. The Rams' friendliest route for now may be to see what they can piece together behind Hill, while keeping an eye on the 2015 draft. Bradford may return by then, but the days of St. Louis counting on him as its go-to QB probably ended on Saturday night."
Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com: "Think about the names being mentioned as potential targets. Mark Sanchez. Ryan Mallett. Kirk Cousins. Tim Tebow. Are you serious? It's amazing to me to see how people perceive backup quarterbacks. It's like beer goggles at closing time. You see what you want to see, when reality is far different. There's a reason they are backups, with few exceptions, including Warner and Tom Brady. Sanchez had early success with the Jets, and he knows the offense after playing for current Rams coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He's also been a flop the past couple of seasons, and his confidence appeared shot. Now that he's done some good things with the Eagles this summer, he's hot again? Is he any better than Hill? It's the same for Mallett, the backup in New England, and Cousins, the backup in Washington. I know there's a call for Cousins to start over Robert Griffin III for the Redskins, but he was ordinary in his three starts last season, and that's being nice. The last time Hill started a game was with the Lions in 2010. He went 3-7, threw 16 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He did complete 61.8 percent of his passes. Sanchez has never come close to that number, Cousins was at 52.3 percent after making his three starts last season and Mallett is 1 for 4 passing in his career. Don't dare mention that lefthanded fullback, either."
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while second-guessing the Rams for not taking a quarterback more promising than Garrett Gilbert in the last NFL Draft:
How can we thank Mo'ne Davis for brightening our summer?
When will Derrick Rose realize that his knees will never be right again?
Since when is it a good idea to let little kids on the field right before a big league baseball game?
MEGAPHONE
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has. Now, Robert is learning to work out of a pocket. He doesn’t look as smooth or as comfortable throwing the football. I mean, your eyes will tell you everything you need to know. It’s going to be a decision that Jay Gruden is going to have to make. Right now, Robert Griffin III is his quarterback. Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe he would have to go to, because of the efficiency with which he has run (the offense). Now Kirk, like I said, is basically a drop-back quarterback. I see Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, I see Kirk Cousins that way"
Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, sizing up the team's quarterbacks during a preseason broadcast.
