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Choosing Bradford is risky business
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
04/23/2010
As it turned out, the Rams could have selected Nebraska star Ndamukong Suh with their first overall pick and bolstered their defense at the point of the attack.
Then they could have added Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the second round. This one-two combination could have advanced the program quickly.
Suh would have created instant impact. When rookie head coach Steve Spagnuolo arrived, he vowed to rebuild the Rams from the lines out, with strong defense and a powerful running game serving as his foundation.
The addition of a disruptive defensive tackle would have elevated the whole unit. Suh would have made Chris Long better at defensive end. He would have made James Laurinaitis better at middle linebacker, too.
The Rams front seven would have become far more imposing.
McCoy would have been a natural fit for the Rams’ version of the West Coast offense. He is mobile, gritty and effective in a short passing scheme.
Earning second-round dollars, McCoy could have developed at a sensible pace. He would have been just another good prospect, not the Face of the Franchise and Offensive Savior.
Alas, we will never know how this sensible approach would have played out for the Rams.
Suh is in Motown now, ready to help the Lions finally re-emerge. McCoy is still waiting to get picked. The Rams are still deciding what to do with their 33rd pick, which the team could convert into multiple picks before the second round starts.
The Rams chose a different and more difficult course, taking quarterback Sam Bradford with its first overall pick.
The selection brought almost universal praise from NFL experts. Bradford is head and shoulders above McCoy as a prospect. Almost everybody agrees on that.
But can he quickly move a 1-15 team forward? The challenge will be enormous.
Bradford will get a record-setting amount of guaranteed money coming into the league. The stakes will be incredible.
At these dollars, the Rams must develop Bradford into a Top 10 NFL quarterback -– and do it quickly.
He is coming off major shoulder injuries. He must adapt to the Rams’ version of the West Coast offense, which is nothing like the spread offense he played at Oklahoma.
He takes the helm of one of the most inept offenses in NFL history. Despite employing Pro Bowl-caliber running back Steven Jackson, the 1-15 Rams averaged 10.9 points per game last season.
TEN POINT NINE! It is almost impossible to be that feckless, especially playing in the weak NFC West.
Has any rookie quarterback been confronted with a greater challenge?
Ideally, Bradford would take his time to reach his full potential, but circumstances will preclude that possibility. Spagnuolo doesn’t have the luxury of grooming his quarterback deliberately.
Bradford won’t get to follow the patient example of Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers or Matt Schaub. He won’t even get a year to learn the ropes, as Carson Palmer did.
He may not even get half a year, as Eli Manning did. The Rams don’t have Kurt Warner holding the fort -– they have A.J. Feeley.
The softest part of the Rams 2010 season comes early. If Bradford signs this spring and gets all of his preseason work in, he figures to play quickly.
To make this decision pay off, the Rams will have to do an incredible coaching job. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur must alter the current damage-control scheme to fit Bradford’s skills.
To make this work, general manager Billy Devaney will have to add significant offensive talent. This team must add a playmaking wide receiver, a pass-catching tight end, an established pass-blocking left tackle and a quality second running back.
To make this work, Devaney will also have to bolster a defense that has only added journeyman-level veterans to this point of the offseason.
He should start the process by trading out of the 33rd overall pick to get additional picks. Then he needs to hit on all those later picks to fill some roster holes.
Then he needs to get serious about adding difference-making veteran talent, too, to support the $50 million investment the franchise will make in the kid quarterback.
Taking Suh and McCoy instead would have been a much easier path to travel. Suh would have helped right out of the box. McCoy would have started his career with far more realistic goals and expectations.
But the Rams chose the more daunting route. Thursday’s celebration was brief. Now the whole football operation must get to work to get high reward from this high-risk maneuver.
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
04/23/2010
As it turned out, the Rams could have selected Nebraska star Ndamukong Suh with their first overall pick and bolstered their defense at the point of the attack.
Then they could have added Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the second round. This one-two combination could have advanced the program quickly.
Suh would have created instant impact. When rookie head coach Steve Spagnuolo arrived, he vowed to rebuild the Rams from the lines out, with strong defense and a powerful running game serving as his foundation.
The addition of a disruptive defensive tackle would have elevated the whole unit. Suh would have made Chris Long better at defensive end. He would have made James Laurinaitis better at middle linebacker, too.
The Rams front seven would have become far more imposing.
McCoy would have been a natural fit for the Rams’ version of the West Coast offense. He is mobile, gritty and effective in a short passing scheme.
Earning second-round dollars, McCoy could have developed at a sensible pace. He would have been just another good prospect, not the Face of the Franchise and Offensive Savior.
Alas, we will never know how this sensible approach would have played out for the Rams.
Suh is in Motown now, ready to help the Lions finally re-emerge. McCoy is still waiting to get picked. The Rams are still deciding what to do with their 33rd pick, which the team could convert into multiple picks before the second round starts.
The Rams chose a different and more difficult course, taking quarterback Sam Bradford with its first overall pick.
The selection brought almost universal praise from NFL experts. Bradford is head and shoulders above McCoy as a prospect. Almost everybody agrees on that.
But can he quickly move a 1-15 team forward? The challenge will be enormous.
Bradford will get a record-setting amount of guaranteed money coming into the league. The stakes will be incredible.
At these dollars, the Rams must develop Bradford into a Top 10 NFL quarterback -– and do it quickly.
He is coming off major shoulder injuries. He must adapt to the Rams’ version of the West Coast offense, which is nothing like the spread offense he played at Oklahoma.
He takes the helm of one of the most inept offenses in NFL history. Despite employing Pro Bowl-caliber running back Steven Jackson, the 1-15 Rams averaged 10.9 points per game last season.
TEN POINT NINE! It is almost impossible to be that feckless, especially playing in the weak NFC West.
Has any rookie quarterback been confronted with a greater challenge?
Ideally, Bradford would take his time to reach his full potential, but circumstances will preclude that possibility. Spagnuolo doesn’t have the luxury of grooming his quarterback deliberately.
Bradford won’t get to follow the patient example of Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers or Matt Schaub. He won’t even get a year to learn the ropes, as Carson Palmer did.
He may not even get half a year, as Eli Manning did. The Rams don’t have Kurt Warner holding the fort -– they have A.J. Feeley.
The softest part of the Rams 2010 season comes early. If Bradford signs this spring and gets all of his preseason work in, he figures to play quickly.
To make this decision pay off, the Rams will have to do an incredible coaching job. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur must alter the current damage-control scheme to fit Bradford’s skills.
To make this work, general manager Billy Devaney will have to add significant offensive talent. This team must add a playmaking wide receiver, a pass-catching tight end, an established pass-blocking left tackle and a quality second running back.
To make this work, Devaney will also have to bolster a defense that has only added journeyman-level veterans to this point of the offseason.
He should start the process by trading out of the 33rd overall pick to get additional picks. Then he needs to hit on all those later picks to fill some roster holes.
Then he needs to get serious about adding difference-making veteran talent, too, to support the $50 million investment the franchise will make in the kid quarterback.
Taking Suh and McCoy instead would have been a much easier path to travel. Suh would have helped right out of the box. McCoy would have started his career with far more realistic goals and expectations.
But the Rams chose the more daunting route. Thursday’s celebration was brief. Now the whole football operation must get to work to get high reward from this high-risk maneuver.
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