Taking Sam Bradford Over Marcus Mariota And Jameis Winton?

Since midway through the 2013 regular season, one question has lingered on the minds of Rams fans every: Who is our “future” at quarterback?

After a promising offseason and some impress play in the 2014 preseason, many believe Sam Bradford could still be that man, despite a long history of injuries, ranging from shoulder issues in college to the recently torn ACL. Then, in Week 3 of the preseason against the Cleveland Browns, Bradford went down again, re-tearing the ACL, and missing the entirety of the 2014 regular season. Now, coming off back-to-back injury-ended years, can Sam Bradford be “the guy” for the Rams in the future?

That is the $12.985 million question. That figure, of course, being the cap space the St. Louis Rams could clear by releasing Bradford this offseason. With Jeff Fisher and Les Snead already backing Bradford in the upcoming year, it is doubtful that they would “full-on” release the oft-plagued quarterback. However, the idea begs the question: Would anyone take a chance on the former Heisman trophy winner and No.1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft?

Earlier today, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole answered that questions, to some extent, revealing some interesting, if not eyebrow-raising, “insider” information. According to his sources, albeit anonymous, there are some unnamed teams that prefer Sam Bradford over either of the top prospects in this upcoming quarterback class, those being Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

To many in Rams Nation, that might come as a surprise, particularly given the heartaches his injuries have caused over the last couple of years. However, even in the black hole that has been Rams football over the last decade, Bradford has shown sparks of brilliance. After starting his career on the right foot, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and finishing one game outside of the playoffs, Bradford was marred with coaching turnover and a horrendous supporting cast, outside of Steven Jackson. Even then, he managed surprisingly adequate numbers, and set up players like Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson for nice paydays outside of Missouri.

However, the remarks favoring Bradford might be more of an indictment on the 2015 quarterback class than genuine praise for the Rams signal caller. Many believe Mariota was a “system quarterback” at Oregon, and may not adapt well to a pro-style offense in the NFL. Winston, on the other hand, is viewed as the most “NFL-ready” quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, but is seen as a risky pick due to his bevy of off-the-field issues over the last two years.

While we might get an opportunity to call these anonymous general managers’ “buffs” on taking Bradford over Winston/Mariota, it is somewhat refreshing to know that some outside of Rams Park still hold the Sooners legend in high regard. Hopefully, the loyalty and patience with Bradford will pay off for the team (and fan base) that has stuck with him since the beginning.

Cheers to a healthy season, Mr. Bradford.