Rams meet with Bradford Again

Some big news regarding the direction the Rams could be leaning with the number one overall pick leaked today as a league source is reporting that GM Billy Devaney and OC pat Shurmur met with Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford in Florida earlier this week. The two sides apparently talked football and about the status of Bradford’s injured shoulder during the meeting, and Devaney and Shurmur also met with Dr. James Andrews, the man who performed the surgery. Bradford has his pro day scheduled for March 29, and apparently the Rams want to have all of the information possible heading into that day. While this could indicate to some that the team has already made the decision to take Bradford, I’m not completely convinced. Something is fishy here, and while I have gone on record saying I think the team will select Bradford, this news makes me wonder if the team is going out of its way to show their interest in the Oklahoma signal-caller. It is no secret that the Redskins need a quarterback, so the team could be using this story to entice the Skins or someone else to trade up to pick Bradford. The fact that this story came out several days after the actual meeting seems odd, and it makes me think that something is up. If I had to guess, I would say that the Rams have a legitimate interest in Bradford but would be more than willing to trade out of that spot if the right package was offered. If this is a move to put some other teams on the hot seat to make a trade, I love it. The more the rest of the NFL believes that the Rams love Bradford, the better position we are in. Keeping as many options open as possible can only help the team get better, so there is really no backfire in generating more interest in the quarterback. While I still think we will end up taking him first overall, a trade is starting to seem more possible.

In other news, it has been a busy couple of days in St. Louis, as the team has invited several free agents in for visits. Running back Willie Parker was in town yesterday, and so were defensive end Reggie Hayward (Jags), fullback Jason McKie (Bears), and cornerback Kevin Dockery (Giants). Defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson (Bucs) was reportedly in town today as well. With the uncertain status of both Leonard Little and James Hall, it makes plenty of sense to give the defensive ends a look. There is likely less interest in McKie, but the team is covering all of its bases. The best fit here may be Dockery, as he is still relatively young at 26 and is familiar with the defensive scheme after playing with the Giants. He would add some nice depth to the secondary, and he is a capable special teams player as well. No contracts have been signed as of yet, but I will continue to keep an eye on who comes to town to let everyone know.