Jeff Fisher: 'I'm betting on' Sam Bradford in 2015

[tavian]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...eff-fisher-im-betting-on-sam-bradford-in-2015

Jeff Fisher: 'I'm betting on' Sam Bradford in 2015
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• By Dan Hanzus
• Around the NFL Writer
• Published: Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:15 p.m.
• Updated: Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:46 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rams general manager Les Snead said Wednesday the team had no plan to "delete" Sam Bradford from the roster. Rams coach Jeff Fisher is similarly delete-averse.



NFL Scouting Combine

Dates: Feb. 17-23
TV: NFL Network and NFL Combine Live


Fisher, like Snead, was asked at the NFL Scouting Combine about the report that Bradford had been given permission by the Rams to seek a trade. The quarterback is coming off back-to-back ACL tears, but remains very much in the team's plans as the presumptive starting quarterback.

"I was surprised to hear that -- not surprised -- but no, that's inaccurate," Fisher said Friday. "We talked about what our plans are for him."

That plan, of course, is tied to Bradford avoiding another crushing setback. Fisher was asked about "Plan B" if Bradford went down again.

"I don't know what that looks like right now. We'll let you know," he said. "It could be a veteran, it could be a draft choice, it could be a combination of that. It could be Austin (Davis), it could be Shaun (Hill)."

Fisher noted that the Rams were 5-2-1 in their division in games started by Bradford in the past three seasons. Both Davis and Hill are free agents, though Davis is restricted.

"We're counting on him, I'm betting on him, and if that doesn't happen, then we'll win games with someone else."

Fisher said in the hallway at Lucas Oil Stadium that Bradford is ahead of schedule and is working at the Rams' complex every day. We asked if the Rams will take a different approach to how Bradford is used in training camp and the preseason this time around. Bradford re-tore his ACL in the Rams' third preseason game last August.

"No. Can't. You can't. You just go play. That's it," he said. "It was an unusually, unfortunate, very disappointing deal that we could not predict. You can't go out there worried about the next injury. When he's cleared, and goes, he goes. They even take the brace off. He (tore his ACL) twice with the brace on, so take the brace off."

Bradford, somewhat improbably, is still The Man in St. Louis. The only question is whether the Rams decide they need to upgrade over Shaun Hill and Austin Davis as the insurance policy. That wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[ram007]

So Fisher wants to re-negotiate with Shaun Hill and go after FA and/or draft for another QB. The $2-$3 that Shaun Hill will get could be used for other positions, if they are going after a QB in FA or draft. This doesn't make sense unless they are trying to deal Bradford.

 

[den-the-coach]

Well, loyalty is Jeff Fisher's greatest strength and might just lead to his demise. Here's hoping betting on Bradford in 2015 propels this regime into post season.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Here's to finding the next KW

 

[SierraRam]

Marcus?, Jameis? Kurt Warner 2.0? Come on!

IMHO, A realistic Ram fan on this forum has to be
all in for Sam! OUR BEST CHANCE in 2015!

 

[LosAngelesRams]

"No. Can't. You can't. You just go play. That's it," he said. "It was an unusually, unfortunate, very disappointing deal that we could not predict. You can't go out there worried about the next injury. When he's cleared, and goes, he goes. They even take the brace off. He (tore his ACL) twice with the brace on, so take the braceoff."

alm:

 

[RamBill]

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal talks with Anthony Stalter on 101ESPN’s The Turn on whether the Rams making a mistake by sticking with QB Sam Bradford.

Listen to Rosenthal Talk Rams/Bradford

 

[V3]

Of course he's betting on Sam. It's his only choice.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

"Take the Brace Off"

Holy crap.....

 

[badnews]

"Take the Brace Off"

Holy crap.....

To be fair, the brace hasn't been preventing significant knee injuries... but it probably does limit the knees full range of motion which could make it more difficult to build up the necessary strength in the area around the ACL.

If something isn't working, switch it up.
That's what we're doing with the offense.

 

[Rams and Gators]

It's probably the smartest decision, the time to not bet on Sam was last year in what could turn out to be a loaded QB class, unless we can work out a trade for Mariota there's no real alternative this year.

"No. Can't. You can't. You just go play. That's it," he said. "It was an unusually, unfortunate, very disappointing deal that we could not predict. You can't go out there worried about the next injury. When he's cleared, and goes, he goes. They even take the brace off. He (tore his ACL) twice with the brace on, so take the braceoff."

alm:

I don't know the stats on chance of injury with and without the brace, but to me that's like saying "well I crashed my car at 10mph, may as well drive at 110mph and see what happens"

 

[dieterbrock]

And once Teddy KGB splits his Oreo, Mike McDermott knows he's got him.....

 

[jap]

The Rams coaching brass was crazy from the beginning to draft a marque pocket QB and fail to surround him with a quality pass blocking OL, quality receivers, and a quality rushing game. No NFL QB can truly shine under such circumstances. They need to go all out on getting the best OL talent they can procure now.

Sam took every single offensive snap his rookie season under microscopic scrutiny for being an "injury-prone" player. He did so with a makeshift OL made up of mostly castoffs from other NFL teams, a declining SJ, and arguably the worst receiving crew in the entire league. The fact that he persevered and actually broke a rookie QB record for completions is a testament to his talent and toughness. However, there is only so long you can play with fire before you get burned.

Although Sam's individual injuries were of a so-called freak nature, I am more than certain that consistently playing with sub-par pass-blocking OL's, grossly inferior receivers, and a declining running game kept his body under unusual stress. How can an ACL injury occur in a known workout warrior like Sam unless it has been under high stress for quite some time? The high ankle strain he suffered in his sophomore campaign is, by its very nature, an injury that usual occurs under unusual stress over time.

I am well aware that Spags/Devaney and Co. had to make over the team when they arrived. They had to accomplish this while recovering from high salaried mistakes of previous coaching regimes. Fisher/Snead were in a similar boat when they took over. However, how can you bank on a marque pocket QB talent and consistently leave him with the least support in the entire league with respect to OL, receivers, rushing game? To their credit, Fish/Snead have been shoring up the receiver/rushing game lately, and they did the obvious and nabbed a green GRob last year. However, it's been more than high time that they complete the overall OL upgrade process by going all out for the best talent they can get for pass blocking OL guys this time.

I don't know of too many other QB's with high profile expectations who have been forced to endure with so little support for so long.

I recall first seeing Sam when he played as a sophomore against the speedy Florida Gators for the national championship. His accuracy compared so well with some of the best signal callers I had ever seen. I remembered seeing the natural, Sonny Jurgenson, who used to toss short- to medium-range passes to his Redskins receivers behind his back! in practice. Sonny was the only pot-bellied QB who ever played for strict disciplinarian Vince Lombardi. Even Vince with his superlatively high standards was in awe of Sonny's passing genius and cut him slack on his late night partying when other players had to toe the line. The accuracy of other big name QB's such as Johnny Unitas, Dan "the Man" Marino, and Joe Montana are well chronicled, especially in big games.

As much as Fish/Snead have done to upgrade the receiving/running game, as well as they did to acquire GRob, we will never see Sam be all he can be without a solid pass-blocking OL. We have so far seen mostly flashes. We grew somewhat confident about his chances at fourth quarter comebacks in 2012 and early 2013. I remain convinced that the Horns would have been playoff teams in 2013 & 2014 with a healthy Bradford. I fully expect Fish/Snead to acquire the best backup QB talent with a live arm they can get this upcoming season. However, the idea of Sam with a balanced OL in front, a dependable running attack behind, and reliable receivers out wide suggests the most fun we could have since GSOT.

Let's get Coach Bou some real talent to work with and then let's watch this offense/team soar!

 

[shaunpinney]

Before I make a bet I want to know what the odds are, lets improve the odds by surrounding our QB with a tough, nasty and durable O-line...

then, and maybe then I'll take that bet

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Fisher is not going to say anything to tip his hand. If he is planning to mov up for Winston, then what would he have to gain by saying so?

If he plans on trading for Foles, why tip teams off?

If he hopes to trade Sam, why say it? What if nothing materializes and Sam is still on the team?

Fisher and Snead are only going to state the obvious and play it safe.

 

[Boston Ram]

Fisher, the Rams and Ram fans have been betting on Bradford since Fisher got here. I hope this bet pays off soon.

 

[dieterbrock]

The Rams coaching brass was crazy from the beginning to draft a marque pocket QB and fail to surround him with a quality pass blocking OL, quality receivers, and a quality rushing game. No NFL QB can truly shine under such circumstances. They need to go all out on getting the best OL talent they can procure now.

This is one of those hindsight 20/20 deals. I'm not defending the results of the prior regime but it's just not true to imply the effort wasnt there.
Sam's O-Line as a rookie was with 2 highly drafted guys, a 1st and 2nd rounder in Smith and Saffold and 2 big money free agents in Jason Brown and Jacob Bell. In "theory" they were trying to do what you are suggesting, by building a solid O-line. Of course there was more bust in this plan that you can shake a stick at, but you cant wait until you have all the facets in place and working before drafting the QB, because like this year, there just may not be any QB available

 

[Boston Ram]

This is one of those hindsight 20/20 deals. I'm not defending the results of the prior regime but it's just not true to imply the effort wasnt there.
Sam's O-Line as a rookie was with 2 highly drafted guys, a 1st and 2nd rounder in Smith and Saffold and 2 big money free agents in Jason Brown and Jacob Bell. In "theory" they were trying to do what you are suggesting, by building a solid O-line. Of course there was more bust in this plan that you can shake a stick at, but you cant wait until you have all the facets in place and working before drafting the QB, because like this year, there just may not be any QB available

Good point, its easy to forget they did try.

 

[jap]

This is one of those hindsight 20/20 deals. I'm not defending the results of the prior regime but it's just not true to imply the effort wasn't there.

Sam's O-Line as a rookie was with 2 highly drafted guys, a 1st and 2nd rounder in Smith and Saffold and 2 big money free agents in Jason Brown and Jacob Bell. In "theory" they were trying to do what you are suggesting, by building a solid O-line. Of course there was more bust in this plan that you can shake a stick at, but you can't wait until you have all the facets in place and working before drafting the QB, because like this year, there just may not be any QB available

Jason Smith was drafted in a very poor year for LT draftees. He never panned out as a LT and had to yield that position to Rodger Saffold, who was a solid choice and highest graded player on the OL his rookie year. However, Jason Brown grossly underplayed his contract and never looked like an impact player. Jacob Bell had severe issues keeping his weight up and got progressively less effective the longer the season wore on as he lost poundage. So only one of those four panned out. Something was grossly wrong with the evaluation process if a coaching regime is wrong on three of four OL starters.