June 12, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) throws during minicamp at ContinuityX Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

There has been plenty of talk of what will become of Rams’ quarterback Sam Bradford, both here in St. Louis and around the country. What should we expect of him this season? Will he be the guy who won a Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and won NFL Rookie of the Year, or will he look more like what we saw last season? I think there is plenty of room for optimism that Bradford will be much improved, but I have some concerns about the young signal-caller as well.

First, my concerns. I don’t think much is being made of this issue (and there may be nothing to it), but Bradford’s ankle has me a little worried. I know he played through the injury some last year and has had a full offseason to get it healthy, but I have heard some reports that it isn’t back to 100 percent yet. If this is one of those injuries that lingers around, it could have a serious impact on his performance. I’m not saying it’s a problem, but it’s something to keep an eye on. The issue that is getting some press is the idea that Bradford suffered from “cabin fever” in the pocket last season and that it could have a lasting effect. There’s no question that the offensive line has to be better, but I think if they can hold their own this season that it won’t be an issue. The problem is, I don’t know how good the line is going to be. There are probably more concerns, but I think these are my big ones right now.

Despite the issues listed above, I think 2012 is going to be a good year for Bradford. The kid has a ton of talent, and I have to believe a full offseason with the new offense will be very beneficial. Brian Schottenheimer’s philosophy looks to be more up Bradford’s alley than Josh McDaniels’, so that will help. I have to believe that the offense as a whole will be healthier this season than in 2011. I know you can’t predict injuries, but there’s no way this team can lose as many guys as last year, right? I think we can assume the O-line will be better, and while I believe they will be much better than people expect, the addition of Scott Wells and what hopefully becomes the maturation of Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith should help. I still don’t love our weapons on the outside, but a full season of Danny Amendola and improved play at the tight end position will make a difference.

There are certainly concerns, but I really think Bradford is going to break out in 2012. The coaches and front office believe in him, and I don’t think there’s any reason for the fans not to agree. Let’s throw 2011 out and forget about it, because 2012 could be the real start of something special.

I know it can be difficult to move out of the first couple of picks, but there’s already chatter about several teams looking to move into the spot. Andrew Luck is likely going first overall to Indianapolis, but Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is a hot commodity. The Cleveland Browns appear to be very interested in Griffin, and they are the ideal trading partner because they have two first-round picks.

The Rams obviously have plenty of holes to fill, so picking up extra picks would be outstanding. Also, if they love WR Justin Blackmon as much as I do, moving down a few spots makes a ton of sense because second might be a little high to take a receiver. If the Rams could get Blackmon and some extra picks out of this draft, it would be a perfect start to the Jeff Fisher regime. I think there will be numerous potential trade partners as long as RG3 doesn’t do anything to hurt his value between now and then, but the Rams need to work on Cleveland to get the best possible deal.

Those of you who have been fans of the organization for a long time will no doubt remember the saga of Eric Crouch. Crouch was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Nebraska, and the Rams made him a third-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. The team planned to move him from quarterback to a receiver/kick returner, but Crouch saw himself as a quarterback and a quarterback only, so he retired from the NFL. Crouch popped up in a few different places over the next few seasons, but he never achieved any amount of success at any of his stops. Well… He’s Back!

It was announced today that Crouch has signed a deal to play quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. For those of you keeping track at home, this will be his first taste of pro football since 2006, when he had a short stint in the Canadian Football League. Yeah, I’m sure this is going to go well.

In all seriousness, as far as the UFL goes, the Nighthawks have a pretty impressive group of signal-callers battling for playing time. Joining Crouch will be former Georgia star DJ Shockley and Jeremiah Masoli, the troubled Oregon QB who transferred to Ole Miss after getting kicked off the team by Ducks coach Chip Kelly. Crouch will certainly be an attendance draw back in the state of Nebraska, where he is a legend who will be in the hearts of every Huskers fan for now and for always. As far as Rams fans go, let’s just say no one is going to be lining the streets for a parade if Crouch eventually makes his way back to the Gateway City.