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Fresh start in Philly: Bradford not looking back
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_e639fc51-9d12-52f6-a664-b86b1885c968.html
As quickly as you can say ”traded to Philadelphia,” Sam Bradford is moving on. The Eagles’ new quarterback had nary a discouraging word for his former employees — the Rams — during an introductory news conference Wednesday afternoon in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I’m not gonna sit here and make excuses for the way things are,” Bradford told reporters gathered at the Eagles’ facility. “I’m just excited to be here. I look at the opportunity — I think it’s a great one.
“I’m looking forward to the fresh start, and I can’t wait to get back up here and just spend time with coach (Chip) Kelly and to really dive into this offense.”
When asked about the woes in St. Louis, where the Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2003, Bradford said: “I’m not really sure how to answer that. I think the key to any successful organization is stability, regardless of whether that’s professional sports, business, whatever that is. And that’s something that we just didn’t have a lot of in St. Louis. But I think there’s a lot of other reasons that things have gone the way they have.”
He didn’t elaborate. Bradford said he had no regrets about his injury-plagued five seasons with the Rams, but like many players would’ve liked to have started and finished his career in the same place.
“I think any player, when you come into this league, everyone has the dream of playing 12, 15 years — whatever it is — with the club that brought you into the league,” he said.
“But if it’s not in St. Louis, I think this is the one place a quarterback would want to be. This is where I want to be, I’m an Eagle, and I can’t wait to start this journey.”
Instead of characterizing Tuesday’s trade for fellow quarterback Nick Foles as a matter of the Rams giving up on him, Bradford said he looked at it as a case of the Eagles wanting him.
(Wanting him badly enough to give up Foles, a fourth-round pick this year, and a second-round pick in 2016. The Eagles get Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams. Philly could get an additional third- or fourth-round pick from St. Louis in 2016 depending on Bradford’s health and playing time this coming season.)
“I think what happened kinda is the Eagles wanted me, they pursued me, and they got me in this building,” Bradford said. “I’m happy to be an Eagle and I’m ready to get to work.’
Bradford said he first realized a trade might be a possibility three or four weeks ago, or just around the time of the NFL Scouting Combine. It was there that Rams coach Jeff Fisher called trade rumors involving Bradford “inaccurate.”
Fisher also said then: “We’ve talked about what our plans are. ... We’re counting on (Bradford). I’m betting on him.”
It appeared that a tipping point might have been the Rams’ insistence that Bradford take a pay cut. And the refusal by Bradford and agent Tom Condon to do so.
At that point if you’re Bradford, why take a pay cut and risk the possibility of still getting traded? Bradford wanted to stay in St. Louis, and in theory by agreeing to a pay cut it might have made him easier to trade.
In a separate media session Wednesday, Kelly made it very clear how much he wanted Bradford.
“I think he’s got an outstanding skill-set,” Kelly told Philadelphia reporters. “He’s a big, tall, strong, physical quarterback. ... He’s smart. He’s intelligent. He’s one of the most accurate throwers when you see him throw the football. I think he’s wired right.
“We got some inside information, because Pat Shurmur had the opportunity to coach the kid for a year. So he knows what he’s like in the meeting room. He knows what he’s like on a daily basis. He knows the consistency that comes with him. He understands his work ethic.”
Shurmur, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, had the same position with the Rams in 2010 when Bradford was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.
“When Pat was in St. Louis we had a great relationship,” Bradford said. “It was great to see him here (Wednesday). You know I look forward to continuing that relationship with Pat.”
Kelly said the Eagles did their due diligence in terms of Bradford’s injury history, which include a pair of season-ending knee injuries in 2013 and 2014, and came away convinced that pursuing Bradford was worth the risk.
“There were times when we didn’t think there was ever gonna be anything done at all (as far as the trade),” Kelly said. “But we wouldn’t have traded for him if we didn’t think he had a tremendous upside at quarterback.’
Kelly then volunteered: “I was offered a first-round pick for him this morning. From another team.”
Maybe that unnamed teams should’ve been the squad the Rams talked to about trading Bradford.
Except for prepared statements from Fisher and owner Stan Kroenke (who hasn’t actually talked to the St. Louis media in more than three years), the Rams have yet to comment on the Bradford trade.
That should change Friday, at least in terms of Fisher, when the Rams have scheduled an 11 a.m. introductory news conference for Foles.
RAM-BLINGS
The Rams’ re-signing of tight end Lance Kendricks is official. His four-year, $18.5 million contract includes $6.5 million of guaranteed money. Up to $10 million total can be guaranteed as the contract progresses.
• The trade for Houston quarterback Case Keenum, a player the Rams’ cut last season, also has been finalized. The Rams give Houston a seventh-round draft pick in 2016.
• The Rams are getting closer to re-signing wide receiver Kenny Britt, but as of Wednesday night there was no deal.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_e639fc51-9d12-52f6-a664-b86b1885c968.html
As quickly as you can say ”traded to Philadelphia,” Sam Bradford is moving on. The Eagles’ new quarterback had nary a discouraging word for his former employees — the Rams — during an introductory news conference Wednesday afternoon in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I’m not gonna sit here and make excuses for the way things are,” Bradford told reporters gathered at the Eagles’ facility. “I’m just excited to be here. I look at the opportunity — I think it’s a great one.
“I’m looking forward to the fresh start, and I can’t wait to get back up here and just spend time with coach (Chip) Kelly and to really dive into this offense.”
When asked about the woes in St. Louis, where the Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2003, Bradford said: “I’m not really sure how to answer that. I think the key to any successful organization is stability, regardless of whether that’s professional sports, business, whatever that is. And that’s something that we just didn’t have a lot of in St. Louis. But I think there’s a lot of other reasons that things have gone the way they have.”
He didn’t elaborate. Bradford said he had no regrets about his injury-plagued five seasons with the Rams, but like many players would’ve liked to have started and finished his career in the same place.
“I think any player, when you come into this league, everyone has the dream of playing 12, 15 years — whatever it is — with the club that brought you into the league,” he said.
“But if it’s not in St. Louis, I think this is the one place a quarterback would want to be. This is where I want to be, I’m an Eagle, and I can’t wait to start this journey.”
Instead of characterizing Tuesday’s trade for fellow quarterback Nick Foles as a matter of the Rams giving up on him, Bradford said he looked at it as a case of the Eagles wanting him.
(Wanting him badly enough to give up Foles, a fourth-round pick this year, and a second-round pick in 2016. The Eagles get Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams. Philly could get an additional third- or fourth-round pick from St. Louis in 2016 depending on Bradford’s health and playing time this coming season.)
“I think what happened kinda is the Eagles wanted me, they pursued me, and they got me in this building,” Bradford said. “I’m happy to be an Eagle and I’m ready to get to work.’
Bradford said he first realized a trade might be a possibility three or four weeks ago, or just around the time of the NFL Scouting Combine. It was there that Rams coach Jeff Fisher called trade rumors involving Bradford “inaccurate.”
Fisher also said then: “We’ve talked about what our plans are. ... We’re counting on (Bradford). I’m betting on him.”
It appeared that a tipping point might have been the Rams’ insistence that Bradford take a pay cut. And the refusal by Bradford and agent Tom Condon to do so.
At that point if you’re Bradford, why take a pay cut and risk the possibility of still getting traded? Bradford wanted to stay in St. Louis, and in theory by agreeing to a pay cut it might have made him easier to trade.
In a separate media session Wednesday, Kelly made it very clear how much he wanted Bradford.
“I think he’s got an outstanding skill-set,” Kelly told Philadelphia reporters. “He’s a big, tall, strong, physical quarterback. ... He’s smart. He’s intelligent. He’s one of the most accurate throwers when you see him throw the football. I think he’s wired right.
“We got some inside information, because Pat Shurmur had the opportunity to coach the kid for a year. So he knows what he’s like in the meeting room. He knows what he’s like on a daily basis. He knows the consistency that comes with him. He understands his work ethic.”
Shurmur, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, had the same position with the Rams in 2010 when Bradford was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.
“When Pat was in St. Louis we had a great relationship,” Bradford said. “It was great to see him here (Wednesday). You know I look forward to continuing that relationship with Pat.”
Kelly said the Eagles did their due diligence in terms of Bradford’s injury history, which include a pair of season-ending knee injuries in 2013 and 2014, and came away convinced that pursuing Bradford was worth the risk.
“There were times when we didn’t think there was ever gonna be anything done at all (as far as the trade),” Kelly said. “But we wouldn’t have traded for him if we didn’t think he had a tremendous upside at quarterback.’
Kelly then volunteered: “I was offered a first-round pick for him this morning. From another team.”
Maybe that unnamed teams should’ve been the squad the Rams talked to about trading Bradford.
Except for prepared statements from Fisher and owner Stan Kroenke (who hasn’t actually talked to the St. Louis media in more than three years), the Rams have yet to comment on the Bradford trade.
That should change Friday, at least in terms of Fisher, when the Rams have scheduled an 11 a.m. introductory news conference for Foles.
RAM-BLINGS
The Rams’ re-signing of tight end Lance Kendricks is official. His four-year, $18.5 million contract includes $6.5 million of guaranteed money. Up to $10 million total can be guaranteed as the contract progresses.
• The trade for Houston quarterback Case Keenum, a player the Rams’ cut last season, also has been finalized. The Rams give Houston a seventh-round draft pick in 2016.
• The Rams are getting closer to re-signing wide receiver Kenny Britt, but as of Wednesday night there was no deal.