Rams begin contract negotiations with Bradford

The Rams have begun preliminary contract negotiations with the player rep for Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch



They've even touched base with QB Jimmy Clausen. "We're really just comparing notes," said executive VP of football operations Kevin Demoff, who added that he will begin "trading" numbers with agents in early April. If the ownership uncertainty doesn't preclude the Rams from selecting Bradford, they're still unlikely to get into hard numbers until after his March 29 pro day and April 12 team visit.


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Although this means nothing about who we're taking with our no. 1 pick, it IS nice to see that we're doing our due diligence early on. Hopefully we'll see similar headlines with Suh and McCoy.

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Originally Posted by shower beers

Although this means nothing about who we're taking with our no. 1 pick, it IS nice to see that we're doing our due diligence early on. Hopefully we'll see similar headlines with Suh and McCoy.

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If you'd copy and paste the information from the actual source (Post-Dispatch) rather than doing it from Rotoworld, you'd see that is indeed the case. ;)

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The Rams have begun preliminary negotiations with the agent for Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.

But before fans jump to any conclusions, executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff said he has had similar discussions with the agents for Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and even Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

"All the people who are in the discussion (for No. 1 overall), we've talked to their agents," Demoff said. "We're really just comparing notes. Also, it may take some time, so we figured we'd get a head start."

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Courtesy of Jim Thomas' article, "Rams start talks ahead of draft"

Im not surprised by this at all. Its a smart move trying to get the contract sorted before the draft. Whoever we pick i bet we know a few days before the draft

Well then, I assume the agent for Tebow has been contacted as well.


Hello? Is this thing on?

weather it be Suh or Bradford the one good thing we having going for us is that either could or couldn't be pick #1.


In many drafts the clear #1 overall pick can drive the price up.

Bradford really can't do that because if Rams pass he could slip to 4 or below.

Suh could slip to 3 (hypothetically) -- so I hope we use this to our advantage.

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Originally Posted by Nick

If you'd copy and paste the information from the actual source (Post-Dispatch) rather than doing it from Rotoworld, you'd see that is indeed the case. ;)

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I don't have time for your "articles" maaaan, I need my information in short, two line bursts! GO GO GO!

i hope they take bradford

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Originally Posted by HUbison

Well then, I assume the agent for Tebow has been contacted as well.


Hello? Is this thing on?

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One can only hope.

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Originally Posted by HUbison

Well then, I assume the agent for Tebow has been contacted as well.


Hello? Is this thing on?

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Actually Demoff defered contract negotiations with tebow to me. As it currently stand I have offred him two fatted calfs and a bag of crisps.

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The only team that's allowed to begin contract negotiations with draft prospects before the draft is the team that has the first overall pick. The St. Louis Rams are taking advantage of that.

Rams Executive VP of Football Operations Kevin Demoff said he has had discussions with the agents for Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

"All the people who are in the discussion [for No. 1 overall], we've talked to their agents," Demoff told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We're really just comparing notes. Also, it may take some time, so we figured we'd get a head start."

Talking to multiple players could give the Rams some negotiating leverage in attempting to get their top choice to agree to a team-friendly contract before the draft, but Demoff said that's not what these discussions are about.

"It's not a thing about playing them off against one another," Demoff said. "I don't really believe that that works. It's a complicated deal. It's got a lot of moving parts. You're just getting the sense for which parts are important for which people. So if you get down that path . . . you've already done a lot of the legwork."

Even though they're already talking to agents four weeks before the draft, the Rams won't necessarily get a deal done before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces their pick, as the Lions did with Matthew Stafford in 2009 and the Dolphins did with Jake Long in 2008.

"The goal is to get the right deal for the right player that you want to draft," Demoff said. "If that happens before the draft, great. If it doesn't happen before the draft, then we'll spend May, June and July working on it."

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From ProFootballTalk.com

I hope talks with Clausen is only to put Bradford underpresure do get him down in price. Clausen is the only one in the list I would hate to see with the nr 1 pick.

I hope we agree on a deal soon. I am so eager!

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Originally Posted by ClarasDK

From ProFootballTalk

I hope talks with Clausen is only to put Bradford under pressure do get him down in price. Clausen is the only one in the list I would hate to see with the nr 1 pick.

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That's right CDK. To consider Clausen as 1st overall pick just doesn't seem smart right now and your guess on this being a price tactic may be real. The more time passes by the more sense it makes (to me) to stick with the Bradford / Suh initial option. But at this point there's somewhat of a chess match going on between owners and coaches and front offices of the NFL teams in terms of strategies.

man imagine if suh was quarterback................... and a d tackle...............:king:...............

My list goes as:

Bradford
Suh
Clausen
McCoy

Fantastic. Glad to see we're really off to a good start in getting whoever it is we're attempting to sign, signed.