Warner Vs Bradford

[RamInferno]

All the stuff on TV lately about the GSOT has got me thinking. What if Kurt Warner and Sam Bradford's situations had been reversed?

Kurt Warner exploded into the NFL like a bat out of hell. He had a an incredible roster of offensive players around him, receivers, RB, OL. Sam Bradford was drafted by a historically bad football team.

What if you you could put 2010 Sam Bradford in a time machine and put him as the starting QB on that 1999 Rams team after Trent Green was injured? Would he have put up similar numbers to what Warner did with all those players around him?

What if you did the same with 1999 Warner and put him on the 2010 Rams? Would Warner have elevated the play of the players around him and had just as much success as he did on that GSOT team?

 

[RamzFanz]

Warner was an Arena Football Champion with the unique skills that are uniquely Arena. Fast decisions, fast passing. Perfect for Martz's scheme.

Dude was so freaking accurate at that stage in his career.

Bradford may get to his level some day, but no, Bradford wouldn't have been that successful at this point IMHO.

If the Rams had of had Bradford as a backup and given Warner time to heal... hmmmm. Bulger was good too though and the morons crushed his career.

 

[Memento]

I personally believe that a QB needs a supporting cast in order to succeed. While I personally think that Sam is one of the most gifted young passers I've seen coming out of college, (and yes, I do think that he would have been able to put up great numbers) I still think that Warner was a better quarterback. You don't win MVP awards by accident or chance. And Warner was the quarterback who made the GSoT click.

I don't believe that any quarterback truly elevates his supporting cast. The best quarterbacks have all of the tools and intelligence to put the other members of the team in a position to succeed - much like any other player at any other position. But a quarterback can't block for himself. A quarterback can't throw, run down, and catch his own passes. He needs the help of ten others.

 

[SWMO Fan]

I think the premise of this thread is flawed as there is no way to project how things may have been. But it clearly allows one to offer an opinion.

IMO, I tend to agree with RamzFanz. (With the exception that I don't believe Bradford has a prayer of getting to Warner's level.) But I still have hope that he will be good enough to lead us to post season play this season.

 

[SierraRam]

All the stuff on TV lately about the GSOT has got me thinking. What if Kurt Warner and Sam Bradford's situations had been reversed?

Kurt Warner exploded into the NFL like a bat out of hell. He had a an incredible roster of offensive players around him, receivers, RB, OL. Sam Bradford was drafted by a historically bad football team.

What if you you could put 2010 Sam Bradford in a time machine and put him as the starting QB on that 1999 Rams team after Trent Green was injured? Would he have put up similar numbers to what Warner did with all those players around him?

What if you did the same with 1999 Warner and put him on the 2010 Rams? Would Warner have elevated the play of the players around him and had just as much success as he did on that GSOT team?

Warner was an absolute freak until his hand injury. I've never seen anyone before or since throw so many perfect passes. Warner on the 2010 Rams? Kurt wouldn't survive past mid-season. Our line back then would get any QB (except maybe Fran Tarkington) killed.

A rookie 2010 Bradford would do OK on the 1999 Rams, but Super Bowl? No.

2014 Sam Bradford: Yes.

 

[Cullen Bryant]

All I can say is I'm glad we had Warner back then and I'm glad we have Bradford now.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Warner and the GSOT were like the 'Perfect Storm' everything and everybody just exploded at once! Couldn't have been a Better fit than Warner and the gang. I like Bradford, but he never could have done what Warner did in '99!!

 

[Barrison]

Man, get me drooling over here thinking about Orlando Pace being Bradfords LT...

 

[RamzFanz]

I think the premise of this thread is flawed as there is no way to project how things may have been. But it clearly allows one to offer an opinion.

IMO, I tend to agree with RamzFanz. (With the exception that I don't believe Bradford has a prayer of getting to Warner's level.) But I still have hope that he will be good enough to lead us to post season play this season.

We need to remember that Warner took a long time to become the QB we witnessed. Undrafted, dropped by the Packers, unable to even get a tryout, was an assistant football coach.

Mike Martz put a $50 bill on the bulletin board and said Warner could have it if he ever learned to throw a spiral.

Is Bradford Warner? Not year 4 Bradford vs Rams' Warner. Could he be? We shall see.

 

[tbux]

I think he could have- look what an average QB like Bulger did with that team. Now keep in mind- Warner had the surprise factor- the league didn't know how to defend it- and he also had a D- 2 things Bulger did not. I think Bulger could have had very good results in KWs situation too- but make no mistake- Kurt was a very good QB- in the perfect situation. I think Sam has great results in that same situation- I truly do.

 

[-X-]

If Bradford's game was predicated on timing patterns to guys who ran routes flawlessly (Holt, Bruce, Hakim, Proehl) and had a dumpoff option in Marshall Faulk, then I don't see why he couldn't have been as successful. The whole idea of that GSOT offense was identifying the receiver who was about to draw single coverage, and throw to that guy. Those were Warner's words. The only thing I think that could have held Bradford back in that offense would be reading the defense as well as Warner did, and maybe hitting sideline patterns as effectively as Warner did. Both QBs have a very quick release, neither are mobile, and both are very accurate.

 

[AZRamsFan93]

Sam Bradford is not Kurt Warner. Kurt should be a first ballot hall of famer.

That is not a slam on Sam.

Maybe Sam can someday hope to become the QB that Kurt was. We shall see.

 

[-X-]

Sam Bradford is not Kurt Warner. Kurt should be a first ballot hall of famer.

That is not a slam on Sam.

Maybe Sam can someday hope to become the QB that Kurt was. We shall see.

I think the OP is more just offering a scenario wherein both of them switched places. Kurt with the post 2009 Rams, and Bradford with the 1999 Rams. I've seen Kurt look like garbage in bad surroundings (Giants and AZ), and I've seen Bradford look great when he had a legit target to throw to. It's an interesting thing to ponder, but certainly not an opportunity to compare the two directly.

 

[The Rammer]

HaHa It'll proably end up the same if Warner was put on the team.... banged up injured from our crap O-Line Bradford has had in his tenure and crap WR's who have no idea to hold onto the ball, run a proper route or quit on the route.

 

[RamsAndEwe]

Duh Doc! What's up? Kurt Warner!?! Kurt Warner is the Man! I swear, I want, I wish I could say Sam Bradford is the cure for a decade of Ram's misery juxtaposed to Kurt Warner's Instant Karma, but Sam Bradford is but a sticky Band-Aid compared to Kurt Warner's overnight miracle Penicillin Drug Bomb blasting apart filthy venereal 49'er Clap and scuzzy Seahawk crab louses !

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! Got Me an Overdose of The Greatest Show on Turf!! Kurt Warner is Just What the Doctor Ordered!!!



But of course I am wide open to Sam the "Man" Bradford convincing me otherwise!

 

[LACHAMP46]

Warner needed, to be a bagger, the arena league, NFL Europe to become who he became....He took a lot of punishment after teams tried to find his weakness with pressure. Perfect storm is correct. He withstood more punishment than most to get those long developing routes time to get the wrs open. He wasn't Kurt Warner....until all the adversity, and just wanted to make it...Sam's going through it right now...and may have emerged better for it. 2014 will tell the tale.

 

[blue4]

2014 Bradford would have had good success, I think. But then I've always thought we would have won the bowl with Trent Green. I'm probably in the minority here, but I've always thought '99-01 was more Faulk and Martz than Warner. Not to knock Warner at all, those passes don't throw themselves and he deserves the HOF, but I think those teams overall success didn't have as much to do with the QB as thought. Now, the Cardinals bowl appearance with Warner was all on Warner. I think that was his best year as a pro as far as what he was required to do for the team to even move the ball.

 

[AZRamsFan93]

2014 Bradford would have had good success, I think. But then I've always thought we would have won the bowl with Trent Green. I'm probably in the minority here, but I've always thought '99-01 was more Faulk and Martz than Warner. Not to knock Warner at all, those passes don't throw themselves and he deserves the HOF, but I think those teams overall success didn't have as much to do with the QB as thought. Now, the Cardinals bowl appearance with Warner was all on Warner. I think that was his best year as a pro as far as what he was required to do for the team to even move the ball.

It is interesting to try to predict but we have absolutely no idea what we will get from Sam in 2014.

 

[moklerman]

While Warner was perfect for the GSOT, Green and Bulger showed that with some talent, other QB's could excel in that system with those players. In terms of pedigree, Bradford is better than any of them were at earlier stages in their careers so I don't see why Bradford couldn't have also excelled.

 

[Loyal]

Like a certain part of the anatomy, everyone has an opinion. Mine is this, Bradford would not have led the Rams to a Super Bowl..Not slamming the kid, he just doesn't have the intangibles Kurt did. Kurt was a freakin leader to the nth degree. Warner is probably a first ballot HOFer. I think Bradford would have led the Rams to the playoffs back then....just as I think Warner might have elevated the play of the team to a possible Wild Card. No way Kurt loses that Seahawk game last year (think Bradford would have won it too). I also think Kurt was tougher than Bradford..Yeah Kurt got hurt, but that was after Martz kept doing 4 Wr sets all of the time. Dude got hit early and often releasing the ball , and stood in there courageously....

Like I said, it's not really fair to compare them.