Sam Bradford - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Eyeing Sam Bradford

February 21st, 2015 at 9:37am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns quarterback situation was a bit tumultuous in 2014, but it was expected to clear up in 2015. That may no longer be the case, as Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole says the organization will “take a real run” at Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (via Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com):

“Bradford, whether they trade for him or whether he gets cut, that’s a guy at the top of their list,” Cole said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Bradford is the guy that most people are saying if the Browns have a chance to get him, especially with a relatively cheap trade, say a second-round pick, maybe a third-round, that they’ll take a real run at him.”

The interest in Bradford is curious, especially considering the team’s investment in first-round pick Johnny Manziel only last year. Of course, Johnny Football’s rookie campaign didn’t go as well as many had hoped, but despite the 22-year-old entering a rehab program, it sounded like the organization was still committed to their young quarterback. Manziel finished his rookie season with 175 and two interceptions. He also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.

Of course, the team’s pursuit of Bradford would be fruitless if the Rams refuse to give up the 27-year-old. Head coach Jeff Fisher stressed yesterday that the organization plans to keep Bradford, and general manager Les Snead indicated that they’d rather add quarterbacks than subtract them.

“I don’t think that’s the answer,” he told Cabot. “I think the answer is providing insurance in case we do go through more bad luck. Let’s rehab (Bradford). And then when he’s healthy, let’s let him go compete. And I think the guy’s got a chance to be a heck of a starting quarterback. Let’s insure the position. And that just gives us options in case we do have bad luck.”

Following an injury-ravaged 2013 season, Bradford tore his ACL in the Rams third preseason game this past season. In his last full season in 2012, he passed for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Combine Pressers: Rams, Jags, Seahawks

February 20th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Most head coaches and general managers who were scheduled to speak to the media in a press conference setting at the combine this week did so on Wednesday or Thursday, but there were still a few names left on the docket today. Three head coaches or GMs spoke to reporters at the podium in Indianapolis this morning and afternoon, and we’ve got a recap of their notable comments below, with all links going to Twitter unless otherwise indicated….

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher:

According to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Fisher said today that a report suggesting Sam Bradford was allowed to seek a trade was “inaccurate.” However, he stressed that the Rams will definitely be keeping an eye out for a quarterback this offseason. “It could be a veteran, could be a draft pick,” Fisher said. “But it’s extremely important to have that option, yes.”
Fisher once again reiterated that the Rams want Bradford back, noting that the former first overall pick had dinner with new quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke last week before Weinke was hired.
In addition to interviewing Jeff Garcia, the Rams also spoke to Steve Walsh about their QB coach job before hiring Weinke, according to Fisher.
Jake Long‘s rehab is progressing and the team is working on figuring out where he could fit besides left tackle, with many options in play, said Fisher. Greg Robinson is poised to take over as the Rams’ permanent left tackle, meaning Long will either switch positions or be cut.

Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell:

The Jaguars will have a top-three pick once again this season, and while the club has held onto its top pick in recent years, Cadlwell is more willing to discuss the possibility of moving down this time around, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “I feel more open to it this year because we don’t need to have a guy come in and start,” Caldwell said. “We had no margin for error the last two years. We had to draft them and start them.”
If the Jags do decide to trade their pick, Caldwell expects it to be a last-minute move, since some teams wait until draft day to make a real offer.
The Jaguars head into March armed with a ton of cap space, and the team plans to be aggressive in free agency, but won’t “spend just to spend,” said Caldwell.
Caldwell has received second-hand reports telling him that wide receiver Justin Blackmon is making solid progress, trying to make positive strides in his life. Blackmon is slowly working his way toward reinstatement, as we heard a couple weeks ago.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll:

The Seahawks have made “big offers” to running back Marshawn Lynch, and engaged in “earnest” talks with him, per Carroll. The club is still waiting on Lynch to make a decision about the coming season, and if he decides to continue playing, it sounds like he’ll be rewarded with an extension.
Having lost coaches like Dan Quinn and Ken Norton to larger roles with other clubs, the Seahawks are still looking to fill a couple spots on their defensive staff, according to Carroll, who said the team is conducting interviews in Indianapolis.

Rams Allow Sam Bradford To Seek Trade?

February 19th, 2015 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:47am: In his full story on the Bradford situation, Thomas clarifies that the Rams have told agent Tom Condon that if he wants to check around to see if there’s a market for Bradford, he can do so. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rams would be willing to make a trade.

WEDNESDAY, 3:04pm: Snead “emphatically denies” that Bradford is being allowed to explore trade possibilities, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, adding that the GM said today that the Rams aren’t “deleting” the quarterback from their roster. Regardless of whether St. Louis is considering trading Bradford, or whether his agent is looking into the possibility, a deal seems unlikely, as I noted below.

1:36pm: The Rams have given quarterback Sam Bradford permission to seek a trade, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). As La Canfora notes, given Bradford’s contract situation and his injury history, finding compensation to the Rams’ liking may be difficult, but the QB’s agent has been given the go-ahead to speak to other teams.

While the Rams have said both publicly and privately that they’d like to bring back Bradford for at least one more season, it appears the front office is intent on finding a solution that benefits both the player and the club. La Canfora notes (via Twitter) that the most likely scenario may still be the Rams working out a restructured contract with the former first overall pick, but that has been a “slow process” so far. Still, discussions on that front are at least underway, GM Les Snead confirmed today (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).

This year’s group of available quarterbacks is weak – both in free agency and in the draft – and there are plenty of teams looking to add a veteran signal-caller, so there may be a market for Bradford. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report also recently reported that some clubs may be more comfortable adding Bradford than a rookie like Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. Still, La Canfora tweets that there’s probably no other team that values Bradford more than the Rams do, and the 27-year-old’s contract also makes a deal tricky.

Entering the final year of his rookie pact, Bradford is on the Rams’ books for a $16.58MM cap number, and a $12.985MM base salary. Whether Bradford sticks in St. Louis or joins a new club, it will likely require slashing those numbers to accommodate him. The Oklahoma product is also coming off back-to-back seasons lost to ACL injuries, so any club interested in acquiring him would have to be certain that he’s on his way back to full health.

Rams Rumors: Bradford, Hill, Long, Barksdale

February 18th, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the more notable news items to come out of the first full-fledged day of media availability at the combine in Indianapolis was a report from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicating that the Rams were allowing Sam Bradford to seek out a potential trade. General manager Les Snead disputed that report, but whether or not it’s true, a deal involving Bradford appears unlikely. Given his contract situation and his injury history, Bradford’s best bet may be agreeing to a pay cut to remain in St. Louis, where it looks like he’ll have a good chance to re-assume the starting QB job for the Rams.

Here’s more on the NFC West squad:

While the Rams and Bradford’s agents don’t have a meeting scheduled for this week in Indianapolis, the two sides will at least talk over the phone, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis does have at least one meeting with a quarterback’s agent set up for this week, according to Thomas, who reports (via Twitter) that the club will meet with the rep for free-agent-to-be Shaun Hill.
Offensive tackle Jake Long, who missed the second half of the 2014 season with a torn ACL, has a $10.5MM cap number for 2015, and the Rams have begun discussions about possibly lowering that number, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Long, a former first overall pick, figures to move to a different position if he returns to the Rams in 2015, since last year’s first-rounder, Greg Robinson, appears poised to take over left tackle on a full-time basis (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald).
Speaking of offensive tackles, Snead said that Joe Barksdale is among the players who are expected to test the free agent market next month, tweets Wagoner. If Barksdale signs elsewhere, that would open up the right tackle spot for Long, assuming he has recovered from his knee injury in time for the 2015 season.

East Notes: McCourty, Jets, JPP, Eagles

February 16th, 2015 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Titans cornerback Jason McCourty likes the idea of playing in the same secondary as his twin brother, and tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com that he hopes to get a chance to recruit Devin McCourty, even while acknowledging it’ll be hard to get the safety out of New England.

“As March closes in he’ll get a chance to see what New England wants to do, and I know he wants to be back there. He feels like that’s home. I think that’s where he’ll want to play his entire career,” the Titans defensive back said of his brother, adding: “You know how the business side of it goes. We’ll see. If he becomes a free agent, I’ll be doing everything in my power to try to get him to Tennessee.”

For his part, Devin admits that he’s “excited” to see how the free agent process will play out. The 27-year-old safety is a viable candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Patriots sometime in the next two weeks.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Taking a look at the Jets‘ options as they explore adding a quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the team has an “interesting name” on its radar: Sam Bradford. The Rams have made it clear they’d like to bring back the former No. 1 overall pick, assuming he’s willing to rework his contract, but if Bradford isn’t willing to take a significant pay cut, it’s possible he’ll hit the open market and join a weak class of free agent QBs.
As of the start of the month, the Giants and the reps for Jason Pierre-Paul had yet to exchange contract numbers, and nothing has changed on that front as of today, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan writes that the next two weeks will be “vital” to JPP’s potential future in New York as the team decides whether or not to use its franchise tag on the defensive end.
If the Eagles can’t find a quality safety in free agency to complement Malcolm Jenkins, it’s possible the team will bring back Nate Allen, but it feels like that relationship has run its course, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus expects the Eagles to address the hole in its secondary in either free agency or the draft, rather than promoting an in-house option to the starting lineup.
Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News examines the Bills‘ chances of keeping pass rusher Jerry Hughes on their roster, estimating that the team would likely have to pay Hughes a deal worth $8MM per year, with up to $20MM in guaranteed money.

Extra Points: Bradford, Rice, Starks

February 14th, 2015 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Rams introduced their new offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti, on Friday. The most significant information that came from Cignetti’s press conference was the vote of confidence given to quarterback Sam Bradford, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Petra.

Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, has been inconsistent and injury prone during his five-year career, with an underwhelming 79.3 passer rating and just 49 of a possible 80 regular-season appearances. Bradford missed all of last season with a torn ACL and there was some question as to whether the Rams would bring him back in 2015, the final year of his deal, but head coach Jeff Fisher and Cignetti officially put such speculation to rest.

Asked if he wanted Bradford back next season, Fisher said, “That’s correct, yes. He’s been in the building since the season ended. He’s doing well,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas.

Fisher even said Bradford’s presence influenced the promotion of Cignetti, who was previously St. Louis’ quarterbacks coach.

Bradford’s cap number for next season is a whopping $16.58MM, and Thomas wrote earlier this week that the team hopes to restructure the 27-year-old’s contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com took a look at the factors working for and against Ray Rice in his quest to return to the league after a yearlong hiatus resulting from the 28-year-old’s assault of his then-fiancée. Working in Rice’s favor, according to Brown, is that the likes of Michael Vick and Richie Incognito recently found second chances after committing serious off-the-field offenses. Conversely, one of the reasons Rice might not find much of a market is his poor 2013 performance. Rice was among the worst starting running backs in the league that year, amassing just 660 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. His 3.1 yards-per-carry average was significantly lower than his career mark (4.3).
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com sees “virtually no chance” of Washington using the franchise tag on anyone this offseason. Tandler notes that the $13.75MM cost for tagging outside linebacker Brian Orakpo would be too steep, and fellow free agents-to-be Niles Paul, Roy Helu and Jarvis Jenkins aren’t candidates to be among the five highest-paid players at their respective positions. Earlier this month, our own Luke Adams covered the possibility of Washington using the franchise tag this offseason, also concluding that it was unlikely.
Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks is one potential cap casualty who could make sense for the Patriots, tweets the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. The 31-year-old Starks is scheduled to count $6MM against Miami’s cap in 2015.

Extra Points: Bradford, Mariota, Manning

February 9th, 2015 at 10:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears from executives that some quarterback-needy teams in position to potentially have a shot at drafting Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston would actually prefer to roll the dice on former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, if the Rams decide to release him. Of course, that may end up being a moot point, since St. Louis has expressed interest in bringing back Bradford, assuming he’s willing to restructure his contract. More from around the NFL..

Within that same video, Cole suggests that Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee is likely to hit the open market next month, since the club views him as a complementary player rather than a core piece, and will want to use its available cap room elsewhere.
Peyton Manning is back home in New Orleans and training with the intent to play the 2015 NFL season, a source close to the quarterback told Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Manning wants to talk with Broncos executive vice president and general manager John Elway before announcing his intentions for the 2015 season and hopes to chat with him in the next couple of days. Manning, 39 in March, is the NFL’s oldest starting quarterback.
Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun says the Ravens should pick a top cornerback in the draft. The top four cornerbacks right now appear to be Michigan State’s Trae Waynes, Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson, Washington’s Marcus Peters, and LSU’s Jason Collins.
While it appears that the previously reported changes to the Packers‘ coaching staff will indeed happen, the team has yet to formally finalize those moves, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
The Dolphins may not be in talks yet with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on a long-term contract extension, but one could certainly be in the cards. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explored what a deal for the signal-caller might look like.
The Raiders announced that they have hired Rod Woodson as an assistant defensive backs coach, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That means that defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is the lone holdover from the 2014 staff.

Sunday Roundup: Broncos, Hudson, Bradford

February 8th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this slow news day:

Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes that, even if Peyton Manning returns in 2015, the Broncos should still find ways to get meaningful snaps for Brock Osweiler.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post provides a complete offseason breakdown for the Broncos, which includes the team’s contingency plans should Manning retire (of course, his retirement would create an additional $19MM of cap room that would allow Denver to surround Osweiler with talent). Klis says the Broncos’ top priority will be finding a right tackle, and he therefore puts Bryan Bulaga at the top of the team’s shopping list.
Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star fleshes out his tweet from a few days ago with a deeper look into the decision the Chiefs will have to make regarding free agent center Rodney Hudson. Paylor also confirms that the Chiefs are expected to use the franchise tag on Justin Houston.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Rams are in pretty good financial shape. Even though the team’s cap number currently sits just shy of $143MM, with the projected league salary cap to be somewhere between $140MM and $150MM, Thomas notes that St. Louis has plenty of options to reduce their cap number, including a restructure of Sam Bradford‘s contract or even an outright release of the former No. 1 overall pick.
Tommy Lawlor of PhiladelphiaEagles.com offers his offseason blueprint for the Eagles, noting that even if the team hands out a big-money deal to Jeremy Maclin, it should still have enough room to shop for a couple of starters in free agency.
Free agent cornerback Ike Taylor said that if there is any one person he would follow, it would be Dick LeBeau (Twitter link to SiriusXM NFl Radio). As our Zach Links wrote several days ago, Taylor is one of a number of long-time Steelers who could finish their playing days in a Titans uniform under LeBeau’s tutelage.
Summarizing reports from various sources, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk confirms that free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham is unlikely to remain with the Bengals.

NFC Links: Bradford, Crabtree, Foster

December 25th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Rob DiRe

A variety of factors will go into the offseason decision-making for the Rams, but with the defense clicking on all cylinders and the team playing themselves out of a high draft pick, the team’s best course of action may be to retain Sam Bradford, writes Joan Niesen of Sports Illustrated.

It would take too much for the Rams to trade for a quarterback or move up in the draft, and hoping for a healthy and consistent season from Bradford could be the best move for them if they hope to compete in the NFC West next season.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

The 49ers will have to make a decision on whether or not to keep Michael Crabtree with the team going forward, and the former first-round pick is excited to reach this offseason, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I can’t wait to see what’s next, the next chapter in my career,” said Crabtree. “I’m going to go hard every day. I’m going to go hard every year, try to get better. Try to maximize my talent.”
Buccaneers‘ linebacker Mason Foster is also set to hit free agency, but is looking forward to remaining with the team in 2015 and beyond, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “I definitely want to stay in Tampa,’’ Foster said. “Both my sons were born in Tampa. I’ve got a lot of ties down here, and I love Tampa. It would be great. It would be amazing to stay here. But football is a business so you know there’s a chance you won’t be here.’’
The Lions will be without center Dominic Raiola this weekend against the Packers with the lineman suspended for the game, but the team is confident in backup Travis Swanson, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Raiola surely would love Swanson to play well as the Lions beat the Packers to win the division, but as an impending free agent, his leverage would be much better were Swanson to struggle to replace him.
The Eagles are slated to be selecting around 20th in the 2015 NFL draft, and Jared Sherman of CSNPhilly.com has already taken a look at what players they could consider selecting in his first mock draft. Sherman has the team targeting a cornerback, going with Marcus Peters out of Washington. The way the Eagles have been burned by Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson the past two weeks, it is no surprise Sherman sees corner as the team’s top priority.

Sam Bradford Remains In Rams’ 2015 Plans

December 11th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Bradford has missed most of the last two seasons due to multiple ACL injuries, and as the Rams quarterback enters the final year of his rookie contract, there has been speculation that the team will cut ties with the former first overall pick. However, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), Bradford remains in the Rams’ plans, with head coach Jeff Fisher indicating that the signal-caller was one of the main reasons he took the St. Louis job.

Bradford is the only Rams quarterback currently under contract for 2015, with Shaun Hill eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Austin Davis hitting restricted free agency. However, as Breer notes (via Twitter), Bradford would likely have to rework his contract for his time in St. Louis to continue. He’s currently on the books for a $16.58MM cap hit, and the Rams could clear nearly $13MM of that amount by cutting him in the offseason.

In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com today, Field Yates suggested the Rams should strongly consider trading up for a quarterback in the 2015 draft, since there’s enough talent elsewhere on the roster to compete immediately with a solid quarterback, and the team could afford to give up a couple picks. Breer acknowledges (via Twitter) that St. Louis will likely add a QB in the draft, but says Bradford could still enter next season as the starter, assuming he’s fully recovered from his latest ACL tear.

While trading up for a QB is one path the Rams could consider, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said on a conference call today that he doesn’t believe there’s a franchise quarterback in next year’s draft class, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. If the Rams feel the same way, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to move up in the first round, though perhaps there’d be an under-the-radar option the team could target in the middle rounds.

As we’ve seen over the last two weeks, this St. Louis team has more than enough talent on the defensive side of the ball. Our Rob DiRe wrote late last month that the Rams appear to be just a quarterback away from being a legit contender, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on how the club addresses that issue in the offseason.