Next Year: Roll Dice on Bradford or draft Pick?

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Next Year do we Roll Dice on...

  • Draft Pick

    Votes: 81 81.0%
  • Bradford

    Votes: 19 19.0%

  • Total voters
    100

BKBISTRO

UDFA
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
45
One thing I think may happen if we let him go is that in a year he will sign with AZ, sit for awhile, then take over and have several very good seasons. I'd be happy for him, but as a rams fan it's expected.
 

plaza23

Guest
From TST:

Unfortunately, he's correct...
If moved to IR, his full cap hit for 2014 remains ….17.61 million
If released, the Rams save 7.19 million on their 2014 salary cap

I wonder what we are going to do with him?

If the Rams dont release him, then Demoff, Snead, and Fisher all need to be fired. That cap savings can be used on players that will help the team. If Bradford recovers from his 2nd ACL tear and the team wants to give him another go, then they can re-sign him back in 2015 for a much lower number. But at this existing contract - no way. They gotta release him.
 

Mackeyser

Supernovas are where gold forms; the only place.
Joined
Apr 26, 2013
Messages
14,158
Name
Mack
From TST:

Unfortunately, he's correct...
If moved to IR, his full cap hit for 2014 remains ….17.61 million
If released, the Rams save 7.19 million on their 2014 salary cap

I wonder what we are going to do with him?

Actually, this is (edit: ) ONLY partially correct. As CoachO has pointed out, because he's out for the year, per the CBA, he is entitled to his entire Paragraph 5 salary, which in Bradford's case is... all of it. He has no incentive to take LESS and be released. The only reason to do that would be if he felt he could come back this year. Upon release, he'd have to wait 8 games before signing with that same team...OR, he could sign with another team asap. However, in Sam Bradford's case, no team is going to sign a QB who just sustained his second ACL tear in 10 months.

So, even if the Rams release him, his cap number this year will remain the same.

I raised the question earlier because I wasn't sure if released and settled if those numbers counted against the cap. Well, they do, but season ending injuries are fully guaranteed, so there's nothing to negotiate unless Sam really wants to try and not be released prior to the 2015 season and wants to try and ensure he has a chance next season. He could negotiate less money for that chance. But I can't imagine Bradford wanting to give up enough in the next few days that the Rams would consider it.

Which means that for all intents and purposes, for the 2014 season, Bradford will be on IR. Things can change very rapidly, but unless something changes (and at this point, I don't think our nerves can handle much more right now), he won't be released. It's impractical. I won't say "can't" be released, but it's highly unlikely.
 

bluecoconuts

Legend
Joined
May 28, 2011
Messages
13,073
Roll the dice. If there is a good QB in the draft then take him, but roll the dice.

And approach him and tell him you'll still negotiate an extension, at a much lower price.
 

Rambitious1

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Feb 4, 2013
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4,446
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Tom
Not to be uber depressing, but I heard some medical sports guru on the NFL network say that a second injury to the same ACL can take almost twice as long as the first to heal. Not sure if that's accurate though.
 

plaza23

Guest
Actually, this is (edit: ) ONLY partially correct. As CoachO has pointed out, because he's out for the year, per the CBA, he is entitled to his entire Paragraph 5 salary, which in Bradford's case is... all of it

Thats incorrect.
Base Salaries only become guaranteed if the player make the 53 man roster by the first game or is put on IR before that.

The Rams can still cut him before the start of the season and the injury settlement is up to 50% of this Paragraph 5 salary - up to a maximum of $1,300,000. Not sure where CoachO is getting his information but it is not right.

The CBA clearly states it on page 200.

Guys get hurt all the time in preseason and are cut with injury settlements. Part of the game.
 

Mackeyser

Supernovas are where gold forms; the only place.
Joined
Apr 26, 2013
Messages
14,158
Name
Mack
I got my info from http://overthecap.com/what-exactly-are-injury-settlements/

The CBA protects players who are injured performing football activities. Essentially if you are injured your salary is protected, but it is only protected to a point. Remember there are various extents of injuries that occur in the NFL. An ACL tear is devastating and will cause a player to miss the entire season. That is a major injury and the player will earn his entire Paragraph 5 salary for the year.

That max of $1.3M doesn't make any sense at all. Guys who make more than that all the time and get their full money, even in the last year of their contracts. So somehow, we're missing something.
 

Mister Sin

Your friendly neighborhood fat guy!
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Joined
Apr 11, 2013
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5,369
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Tim
As much as i would love for Bradford to have been the guy. Deep down I think I've known for a couple years that we would have to move on, one way or another. I'm excited to bring in a new rookie and see what we get. I'm hoping we get someone who can move but is a pocket guy 1st, in the Andrew Luck wheelhouse
 

BadCompany

Rookie
Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
332
Didnt we draft Gilbert for this very reason? Wasn't he supposed to be our developmental QB?

I guess I just don't understand that pick. Hopefully they saw something I don't, because that would really go a long ways towards solving our problems, no? I mentioned Christian Ponder in another thread - does anybody think Gilbert can be as good as Ponder or Sanchez or even Hill? Not this year, but next?
 

tahoe

Pro Bowler
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
1,664
It will be both, it generally takes 6-7 months to recover from ACL that will mean Bradford will be fully healthy by March. I still cant believe that the ACL is torn, it didnt look as bad as the first one, he didnt look like he was in as much pain, and he could walk. Maybe its not torn as badly, he already, unfortunately, knows how to rehab the knee. He will be much farther from this surgery at the beginning of next season than he was this season. But they have to cover themselves next season and draft a qb early next season, not necessarily in the first but at least by the second or third round.
 

Robocop

Pro Bowler
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Jul 9, 2014
Messages
1,933
Name
J.
Do you guys know it takes TWICE as long to come back from a retorn ACL? That means he'd maybe be ready for week 1 next year. Love the guy but no way does he stay unless he restructures and sits on the bench behind someone new next year and just see how it goes and maybe he'd get another shot. Need stability which we almost had and then POOF! its gone...
 

blackbart

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Dec 29, 2010
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Tim
Both but a rookie starting is not a great situation either. This team needs a solid QB and it will take 2 or 3 years to develop a rookie maybe that guy is already on the team.
 

tahoe

Pro Bowler
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
1,664
Gilbert is not that guy that will develop into the franchise starter
 

DCH

Madman with a box.
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Jun 18, 2014
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3,354
Name
Dewey
Both. Gilbert has arm talent and upside, but as with all later-round QB picks, he's a serious longshot. Bradford back should be a no-brainer, as he'll likely be quite inexpensive, he's got the system down, he's got chemistry with the team, and dammit he deserves a chance (just not a guaranteed job).

The other side, though, should be a highly-drafted rookie. Someone with a very good shot at becoming a long-term NFL quarterback. Mobility, no mobility, I don't care - we could go for a Mariota (trade the #32 and next year's 1st??) or we could go for a Sean Mannion (statue in the pocket with a bazooka arm).

I am not that worried that Fisher/Snead didn't draft a QB high this year. They had a plan - build the team around the QB position, get some short-term talent to back up Bradford in case the worst happened, and create a situation where a new/rookie QB can come in and go "Holy shitballs Batman, what an embarrassment of riches I have been dealt."

Or... y'know, 34 ain't exactly decrepit for a quarterback, particularly a pocket passer who doesn't rely on footspeed. If things go really well, Hill could be our starting QB for the next three years.
 

-X-

Medium-sized Lebowski
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Jun 20, 2010
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35,576
Name
The Dude
The Rams can still cut him before the start of the season and the injury settlement is up to 50% of this Paragraph 5 salary - up to a maximum of $1,300,000. Not sure where CoachO is getting his information but it is not right.
I don't think any of us laymen are experts on NFL contracts and negotiations. Because you're not right either. Carl Nicks, for example, just negotiated an injury settlement of $3,000,000.00. That appears to be well over the maximum amount allotted that you just posted. Since nobody knows what Bradford's contract looks like as it pertains to injury settlements (e.g., how much is guaranteed against injury), I'm pretty sure it's up to Demoff, Dogra and Condon.
 

Leuzer

Daniel Leu
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
2,166
1. Restructure Bradford. 2. Draft a back up in the first 2-3 rounds and let them sit behind Bradford. 3. Playing the waiting game...
 

OC_Ram

Restricted Free Agent
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
1,085
Bradford will be here next year IF he's signed for back up qb type money. He is injury prone and won't get a better offer. The rams must draft a qb
 

XXXIVwin

Hall of Fame
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Jun 1, 2015
Messages
4,721
Just going along with the latest trend: resurrecting ancient threads to scare people! :LOL:

So... should we kick the tires on Bradford again? Or pretty sure he’s done? :zany:

Awaiting “Boo this man” GIF... :D