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.

Aug 13, 2011; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

We haven’t heard much from former GM Billy Devaney since he was let go by the Rams following last season’s debacle, but Billy D made up for that in a big way when he joined Doug Farrar and Rob Rang on Chalk Talk Saturday. Devaney had plenty to say about what happened during last year’s 2-14 season, so let’s get into some of his quotes. I can’t get everything he said in here, but here are some of the highlights.

“I still ask myself that, almost every day,” Devaney said, in response to that question. “The short version is when I was named general manager, we were looking for a head coach. And went through the hiring process, had great candidates, and knew (Steve) Spagnuolo from way back when I worked at the Redskins, he was an intern, so they hired Spags. As soon as Spags gets hired, the team is for sale. Chip and Lucia (Rosenbloom) inherit the team from Georgia Frontiere. Through a whole mess of legalese and tax issues, they tried everything they could to keep the team and they weren’t going to be able to.

“So the team went up for sale. It was an old roster. Really old roster. There were some guaranteed contracts on there that we had to live with. Spags and I could got together with Chip and we said ‘Listen, this is going to be a complete overhaul, let’s just bite the bullet and, rather than do it piece meal, let’s blow the whole damn thing up.’”

“We lose Pat Shurmur to the Cleveland Browns, he’s our offensive coordinator. And the decision was made to bring in Josh McDaniels and change the whole offense. And it kind of completely blew up on us,” Devaney said. “It was the perfect storm. When you look at it, we had a ton of injuries, no offseason. It was just one thing after another. I could tell in training camp — I mean early on, I don’t even know if we started playing a preseason game — things just, especially on offense, things just looked really … nobody looked comfortable.

“And our (2011) schedule was ridiculous. I mean, we were hoping, and this is — we’re trying to be optimistic — we were hoping at the halfway point, we may have had two wins. We thought if we could scratch out two wins, the back end of the schedule, we could win a couple of more games. Well, I don’t know if we won any. We may have won one, but by that time, the roster was decimated. We were working corners out on Tuesday and they were lining up and starting for us on Sunday. … Five or six of those guys, I couldn’t even tell you who they were.

Jan 1, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (83) catches a touchdown pass as San Francisco 49ers strong safety Donte Whitner (31) attempts to defend during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers defeated the Rams 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

It’s no secret that the Rams are in need of help at receiver, and news on Brandon Lloyd hit the wire on Monday. Jason LaCanfora reported early in the day that the Rams will not be placing the franchise tag on Lloyd for the upcoming season. Lloyd commented that he would be open to returning to the Rams whether it be under the franchise tag or with a contract, but there is also strong interest from the New England Patriots in reuniting Lloyd with OC Josh McDaniels.

I find the Lloyd situation to be very intriguing. It’s been my assertion that the Rams are in desperate need of an upgrade at receiver, and that’s assuming Lloyd stays in the fold. I really liked what he did last season, and I would love to see him back with the team in the coming year. With that being said, I think it’s smart for the team to stay conservative here. Lloyd is good, but I don’t believe he’s a true number one-type player. If he wants to get paid like a top guy, it might be wise to let him walk if he can get that money elsewhere. If he can be had for a reasonable price, I say bring him back. If he can get more money from someone else, I won’t be heartbroken to see someone overpay him.

I’m certainly not saying to let him walk without a fight, but the team has to be smart here. Getting Lloyd back would be great, but not if it stops us from bringing in someone through the draft or free agency who can truly be that top guy we so desperately need.