Sam Bradford

[DR RAM]

I know this is late, and if you don't get a chance to answer it, that's totally cool, because you have been more than generous with your answers and time.

How does the front office view Bradford as the leader, or "face" of the franchise?

There seems to be polar reactions to Bradford, but I don't get it, personally. He has elite arm talent, he is everything you want as an ambassador of your team and community, and to be frank, he hasn't had a lot of stability around him--in any way, whether it be staff or players, but that has changed thanks to you, Kronk, Snead, and Fish.

Post script. I guess that is one of the reasons why this forum is so awesome, that nobody grilled you about Bradford.

 

[kdemoff]

Happy to answer this question.

To me, the simplest way to evaluate your quarterback is do they give your team a chance to win every year. Sam has been our quarterback for three years. In two of those years, he started 16 games and in those years, we were eliminated in Week 17 and Week 16 from the playoff race. In the three most recent years without Sam starting 16 games, we won 3,2 and 1 games. Sam won more games in both 2010 and 2012 that we did in 2008, 2009 and 2011 combined.

We also improved by 6 games and by 5.5 games (in 2012, not only did we face the toughest schedule in the NFL but we also played the toughest combined scoring defense in the NFL if you look at the 16 defenses we played).

Our players believe in Sam, our coaches believe in Sam and our staff believes in Sam. I understand the "win now" narrative in the NFL and the fact that younger QB's have had "success" quicker, but without seeing how any of them would have fared given the circumstances Sam faced, I think the comparisons are baseless and without merit. Don't blame Sam for the organization's struggles, blame those of us, myself included, who couldn't get him in a position to win quicker.

KD

 

[DR RAM]

Hell yes. I believe in Sam too!

 

[Stranger]

Great answer!

 

[LesBaker]

Our players believe in Sam, our coaches believe in Sam and our staff believes in Sam. I understand the "win now" narrative in the NFL and the fact that younger QB's have had "success" quicker, but without seeing how any of them would have fared given the circumstances Sam faced, I think the comparisons are baseless and without merit. Don't blame Sam for the organization's struggles, blame those of us, myself included, who couldn't get him in a position to win quicker.

KD

I think we have dumped on Spagnuolo and Devaney about that plenty. But maybe we shoulda been flingin' some poo in Kev's direction too? Just kidding of course. :shifty:

I like the quotation marks around success because I agree half a season or a season in a trick O isn't success just yet. The win now narrative is something they are obviously not falling prey too and he isn't having any of the "look at what Griffin and Keapernick did" nonsense that's floating around the punch bowl.

It's pretty clear Bradford isn't going anywhere but that'll never stop the articles from Bernie and others who can't think of anything else to do and the posters who will complain louder than ever if he doesn't look all world by week 4.

Now I'm just guessing here but does it seem to anyone else that KD might have been a little shut out of the loop in the past and now SK has wisely brought him in? If I would have had time I would have asked him how his role and position have changed since SK took the reigns. Unless he has been asked and I missed it.....anyone?

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

Pretty sound answer by KD (very kind of him to donate his time)

I'll never understand the SB8 detractors, how can anyone with an average football IQ not apply what they've seen. It's sorta a litmus test to me, understand we got the right QB for where we (well, they) want to go - Pass

Whine about this, whine about that, insert the despicable word "apologist" - Fail

We all know we haven't seen the best from our QB, he'd be the first to admit he's still working on minor details, but I'm all in with KD on this one.