Q&A with Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford

Date: Tue, Apr 6, 2010

Sam Bradford is a busy man these days. PFW got him on the phone for a few minutes this weekend as he was heading away from a three-hour autograph-signing appearance, on his way to the airport, and then it was on to his next engagement. But we know one trip Bradford won't be making — his scheduled visit with the Redskins for Tuesday. That's because the Easter night trade of Donovan McNabb to Washington eliminates the Redskins from the Bradford sweepstakes.

The deal and the release of Marc Bulger make the Rams Bradford's likely team come April 22 with the first pick in the draft. He impressed nearly every observer at his strong pro-day workout last week, connecting on 62-of-63 pass attempts and putting to rest concerns about an injured shoulder that had kept the former Heisman Trophy winner off the field for much of his final season at Oklahoma. Although we spoke with Bradford prior to the McNabb trade, he shared with us his thoughts on his likely new employer.

Bradford also chimed in on his most talked-about body part, his favorite throw to make, the one sport he's not good at and his Draft Day wardrobe.

PFW: What's the question that you are absolutely sick of at this point?

SB: Well, before (my pro day), it was probably, 'How's the shoulder?' I think I have probably heard that about three million times since the surgery. And then after that, it has been, 'What did you think of the pro day? I feel like I have answered that about a million times now, too, so those are probably the two questions that I probably really wouldn't mind if I never heard again. (Laughs.)

PFW: Sounds good. I'll stay away from those two and take it in a slightly different direction. Typically, those pro-day workouts include about 50 throws for quarterbacks — and that's a lot to begin with. What made you decide to tack on an additional 13 throws at the end? Did you want to end those shoulder questions once and for all?

SB: Yeah, pretty much letting my arm do the talking. There were questions about my arm going into (the pro day), the first time anyone had seen me throw since the injury. So I wanted to go ahead and make sure that we put out a workout that was going to answer any questions and not really leave any questions out there to be answered. I felt like throwing 63 balls showed that I have got the endurance and the strength and there's nothing wrong with (the shoulder).

PFW: Last shoulder-related thing, and I'll move on. I know the injury was a freak thing, especially when you were re-injured against Texas. Did you have any thought since then that, 'Hey, maybe I came back too soon?'

SB: No, I don't think so. I talked to a lot of doctors before I made the decision to come back. You know, our coaches were not going to put me out there before I was ready. I felt like I was ready. I think it was just one of those things where I have been playing football my whole life and I just happened to take two hits that were almost exactly the same. And unfortunately, I injured my shoulder on both of them.

PFW: A lot of people said you made a mistake by not coming out last year. Now that it appears you will be the top pick this year, do you feel like it has worked out well in the end?

SB: Well, I never felt like I made the wrong decision. I thought I made the right decision from Day One. People on the outside, it's easy for them to tell me what I should and shouldn't do. They are not in my shoes. No matter how much information they think they have, they don't have the information that I have. They can't make the decision the way that I can make the decision. I felt like I made the right call. I have come back, I have gotten bigger and stronger and I have matured mentally. I feel better about my game now than I did last year, and no matter where I get taken on Draft Day, I know that I am more comfortable making the transition to the NFL this year than I was last year, and that's the most important thing.

PFW: You mentioned getting bigger. You showed up at the Combine weighing 236 pounds, and though I know you have slimmed down a bit since then, what went into the idea of adding weight?

SB: Well, I know last year when I was debating on whether to come out or stay, my weight was the issue, and a lot of people didn't think that I was big enough to play in the NFL. I wanted to prove to them that I could be as big and as strong as they wanted me to be, so I felt like coming in at a weight like that would show them that if they think I need to be 235, I can be 235. It's not a problem. I didn't want my weight to be an issue or a question in whether a team drafts me or not.

PFW: The focus with you has turned to the Rams and the No. 1 pick. How have your conversations been with head coach Steve Spagnuolo, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and GM Billy Devaney?

SB: We've been in contact. I ate breakfast with Coach Spagnuolo before my pro day. We were having a great conversation. He just wanted to get to know a little bit more about me and give me a chance to get to know a little bit more about him. I spent some time with Pat Shurmur and Billy Devaney, and I really enjoyed getting to meet them. I don't think anyone really needs to know exactly what was said in those meetings, but I have enjoyed my time getting to know their staff.

PFW: At this point will you be disappointed if you are not the No. 1 pick in the draft?

SB: I am just excited for the opportunity to play football somewhere. The draft, it's nothing I can control; it's something the teams control. The only thing I can control is how I perform in my workouts and how I interview with them. I feel like I am very prepared for that. I feel like I have already had a great pro day, and I expect to have some great individual workouts. After I do that, it's out of my hands. So we'll see what happens, but I guarantee you I will be extremely excited wherever I end up.

PFW: OK, just a couple of fun questions for you. How did you become such a big hockey fan?

SB: I don't know, to be honest. I have heard that question before, and I think I just saw it on ESPN and started following it, and then I started skating when I was like 5 (years old). As soon as I started playing hockey, I fell in love with it. And I used to watch it all the time. I used to wake up early and look at the paper and see if the Canucks had won or not.

PFW: I know there are few teams near Oklahoma, where you grew up, but how did the Canucks become your team?

SB: I don't know. I was a big Pavel Bure fan, and that's who he played for, so that's who I rooted for.

PFW: Let me get this straight: You play hockey. You were a prep star in basketball and football. And you have had four holes-in-one in golf. Is there a sport you're bad at?

SB: Umm ... (long pause)

PFW: I hate people like you.

SB: (Laughs.) I don't know. I have never played organized soccer. But back in the day at recess, I was pretty good at it. But I have never really played soccer, so I would have to say if you put me on a soccer field today, I would be clueless.

PFW: Of course you were good at soccer at recess. When was your first hole-in-one?

SB: I think I was like 10. (Laughs.) That's a crazy story, though. My first hole-in-one ... I had played this course the day before, and on the very same hole I had hit the pin. So I came back with my grandpa, and we're playing the next day, and I look at him before I hit it and told him: 'I hit the pin yesterday. I am going to make it today.' Sure enough, it went in.

PFW: Did you freak out?

SB: Oh, yeah.

PFW: Kevin Wilson, your offensive coordinator at OU, recently shaved off his 'stache, much to the dismay of some loyal fans. I ask you: better with or without the facial hair?

SB: I kind of liked when he had the facial hair. I'll say better with.

PFW: Is there one throw you love making the best? One route that's your favorite?

SB: I don't think there's anything better than connecting on a deep ball. You let it go, like a deep post, and they catch it in stride, I mean, that's a pretty good feeling when you are able to do that. If I could do that every time, that'd be great.

PFW: I can only assume that's what you talked about over omelets with Spags.

SB: I am not telling, I said. (Laughs.)

PFW: OK, last one. Do you have your suit picked out for Draft Day? Are you OK in the wardrobe department?

SB: Absolutely not. Absolutely no idea what I am going to wear. I am going to have to get that figured out.

PFW: You don't have a fashion consultant? A girlfriend? A mother? Someone who can help?

SB: I might have to get some girls back in Norman to come over and help me pick one out. (Laughs.)

PFW: Girls, plural? I dig your style, man.

SB: Well, friends. You have to get multiple opinions.

PFW: Couldn't agree more.

Mock draft: McNabb trade creates door for Tebow

Nolan Nawrocki will answer selected questions from readers each Tuesday leading up to the draft, beginning April 13. Send your draft-related questions to Nawrocki at ASKquestions@pfwmedia.com.

For the most authoritative NFL draft news and free-agency analysis, visit ProFootballWeekly.com.

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Rams release QB Bulger

Date: Mon, Apr 5, 2010

Not surprisingly, the Rams announced Monday afternoon that they had released longtime starting QB Marc Bulger.

The 33-year-old Bulger started eight games for the Rams last season but was placed on the reserve/injured list prior to Week 16 and was expected to be released after struggling more often than not for a third straight season.

“It is always hard to part ways with someone you care for and appreciate,” Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “I was fortunate as a first-year head coach to have Marc on our team. I will always be indebted to him for his work ethic, character and leadership. We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Added Rams GM Billy Devaney: “I would like to thank Marc Bulger for his professional attitude. Since I arrived in 2008, Marc showed leadership on the field and in the community. We appreciate all that he has done and we wish him the best.”

In his career, Bulger has started 95-of-96 games and has a 41-54 career record as a starter, all with the Rams. He has completed 1,969-of-3,171 passes (62.1 percent) for 22,814 yards, the second-most passing yards in franchise history. Bulger has thrown for 122 touchdowns and 93 interceptions, with an 84.4 career passer rating.

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Merlin Olsen: football legend, remarkable human being

Date: Sun, Mar 28, 2010

When Los Angeles Rams great Merlin Olsen passed away at the age of 69 earlier this month, the one thing those closest to him spoke most about was how he gave to others. And news story after story reported on the many lives he impacted — an imposing 6-5, 270-pound man with a frame not large enough to house his enormous heart.

For five seasons, Myron Pottios played middle linebacker behind Olsen and the rest of the Fearsome Foursome line that made Los Angeles football famous in the 1960s and '70s. While Pottios admits playing behind that line "was a dream," he, too, only cared to speak of Merlin Olsen, the man.

"He was a gentleman in all phases of life, not just football," Pottios said. "He was always positive, always on the happy side of things."

Olsen is a rare example in professional football history — somebody whose gridiron greatness was overshadowed by his humanity off the field, and not vice versa. Think about Olsen, and this is the order in which we knew him: star defensive lineman-turned television actor-turned broadcaster-turned corporate pitchman-turned humanitarian.

Somewhere, in the long list of hats he wore, Merlin Olsen the Rams' star almost gets lost.

A few highlights not to be forgotten …

• After his rookie season of 1962 Olsen was invited to his first Pro Bowl; he was asked to make a return visit the next 13 years.
• Before Olsen arrived in Los Angeles, the Rams were one of the league's worst franchises, with a 10-27-1 record in the three seasons prior. Thanks to the boost provided by Olsen and the rest of the defense, the team made six playoff appearances during his career, including making it to the NFC championship game following the 1974 and '75 seasons.
• In 15 seasons, Olsen missed just two games — a remarkable statistic considering the era in which he played.
• In 1974 — his 13th NFL season — Olsen became just the second defensive player to win the Bert Bell Player of the Year Award (only one defender has won it since — Lawrence Taylor, 1986).

The Fearsome Foursome was the greatest front wall football has probably ever witnessed, and the game has witnessed a lot of good ones (particularly in Olsen's era). It was so good, it continued on even after Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy hung up their cleats. Olsen has never received the same level of respect as Deacon Jones from football historians, but then again tackles aren't supposed to outshine their end counterparts. Still, one has to respect what legendary personnel man Gil Brandt had to say recently when he boasted that Olsen's ability was on par with the best interior defensive linemen of today.

Said Pottios, "He excelled at everything he did, I think mostly because he was so positive and because he never loafed, always gave it his all."

During Olsen's funeral service, former teammate Tom Mack offered the following: "I've never played with anybody who cared more about winning, but yet winning meant nothing if he couldn't win the right way."

Olsen did a lot of things the right way. Better than anything he did, it's apparent he lived life the right way.

Added Pottios, "He touched a lot of lives, and always with the betterment of that person in mind. I know I was very fortunate to have known and played with him."

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Atogwe tender still puzzles Rams insiders

Date: Sun, Mar 28, 2010

• Our Rams insiders have had a hard time understanding the rationale for tendering RFA FS O.J. Atogwe at the lowest level — a move that saves $5.75 million but also greatly increases the risk of the team losing one of its few quality players and getting nothing in return. "I guess they're thinking the best way to get a deal done is to have some other team set his market value, but they have yet to really talk much at all about a new deal," said one perplexed team insider. "They did re-sign Craig Dahl, who played pretty well in place of Atogwe when he got hurt. I'm honestly not sure just how to read the situation." If the Rams had given Atogwe a higher tender, they would have had to pay him 110 percent of his 2009 salary as the team's franchise player, or $6.976 million. The Rams still have the right to match any offer sheet that Atogwe signs.

• Rams part-owner Stan Kroenke is remaining typically evasive regarding his plans for the future, but team insiders believe he will willingly accept Illinois businessman Shahid Khan as the new majority owner and maintain his 40 percent share of the team. By all accounts, Khan, who is expected to meet in the near future with the league's finance committee, and Kroenke have hit it off extremely well.

• With the Cardinals reportedly paying newly acquired OG Rex Hadnot $3 million annually over three years, team insiders suspect he could give incumbent OLG Reggie Wells, who did not grade out all that well at season's end, a run for his money.

• It's starting to look like the Cardinals and UFA PK Neil Rackers could be parting ways before too long. "They like him, but he hasn't made a lot of clutch kicks lately, and they weren't thrilled late last season when he continued kicking when he was not 100 percent healthy," said one team insider. "He's also a pretty high-maintenance guy who wears everything on his sleeve. The market for kickers is really off because of what the Raiders paid Sebastian Janikowski, and the franchise money Olindo Mare and Jeff Reed are getting. The Cardinals aren't likely to pay that kind of money to Rackers."

• Rumors persist in Seattle that restricted free-agent OG Rob Sims, who has had his share of struggles, is not long for the team.

• Niners president/CEO Jed York confirmed our sources' contention that the "mutual parting" of GM Scot McCloughan from the organization had been in the works for a while, with director of player personnel Trent Baalke having taken on a greater role. "We've been prepared for this," York said in a March 22 conference call addressing McCloughan's exit. "I would say our (draft) board is 90-95 percent set ... and Trent has been intimately involved in putting that board together."

• Newly re-signed Niners OT Barry Sims, who did a nice job replacing the injured Joe Staley at left tackle last season, envisions himself in the same swing-tackle role he filled in 2009. "Yes, I assume that would be the case," Sims said, "to provide depth and, with my experience, be able to play both sides and really help the younger guys develop a little quicker."

• There is now serious concern that Giants FS Kenny Phillips will not be ready for the start of the regular season. Although his post-microfracture rehab is reportedly going well, Phillips has not yet been cleared to run even. When asked if Phillips might be ready for the start of training camp, head coach Tom Coughlin didn't sound like it was a reasonable possibility. The likely route is to place Phillips on the PUP list.

• Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin to PFW on what QB Kevin Kolb's most impressive trait is: "I think it's his control. That's something people don't see (in) a lot of quarterbacks, but he's in control. He knows who the ball is going to before it's snapped, and right after the snap he can see what the defense is doing. That's something he does very, very well. I think it also has helped him, playing behind one of the better quarterbacks (Donovan McNabb) to ever play the game."

• Vikings head coach Brad Childress indicated that the team is not interested in free-agent RB Brian Westbrook "right now," although things could change. If the Vikings cannot find a back in the draft who can handle backup duties to Adrian Peterson, their thoughts on Westbrook could change. He's a smart pass protector and has been an excellent receiver in the past, though injuries clearly play a part in any decision to sign him.

• The Lions have a number of defensive needs, but they also know they have to find a running back. It's very likely the team will see how the draft goes before looking to the free-agent ranks for help. But they are well aware of the void at the position, with Kevin Smith coming off ACL surgery, and are sure to try to upgrade there in April or later.

• It's quite likely the Packers will strongly consider cornerbacks high in the draft, in great part because 35-year-old Al Harris is coming off a very serious knee injury that we hear will take six months to fully recover from (he underwent surgery Nov. 30). But the majority of our Packers sources are betting that Harris, a conscientious workout warrior of the highest order, will defy the odds and make his physical presence felt for at least another season.

• An intriguing young Packers sleeper we hear could be worth keeping an eye on is DE Ronald Talley, who spent his rookie season in 2009 on the practice squad. Word is the team really likes the 6-3, 286-pound frame of the undrafted rookie from Delaware.

• If the Bears' first pick in the draft (in the third round for a third straight year) is not a safety, team insiders think the odds could swing in the direction of an offensive lineman who could possibly figure in the mix at left guard from the get-go. With Frank Omiyale expected to shift to right tackle, the front-runner at left guard at present is undersized Josh Beekman, who lost the starting job to Omiyale early last season. As far as intriguing sleepers on the Bears' O-line are concerned, keep an eye on both Lance Louis and Johan Asiata at left guard and James Marten at right tackle.

• The Saints opted not to match the offer sheet Mike Bell received from the Eagles, and we're told New Orleans' faith in backup RB Lynell Hamilton played a role in the team's decision to let Bell walk. While Reggie Bush plays a hybrid rusher-receiver role, Pierre Thomas and Hamilton are likely to be the team's two primary rushers next season. The Saints could explore other free-agent options, but they already met with ex-Raider Justin Fargas and he left town without a contract.

• Darren Sharper will likely wait until after the draft before deciding on where he'll play next season. While Sharper has spoken highly of other teams with the hope they might offer him a deal, sources say the Saints are still the front-runners to sign him.

• RFA CB Richard Marshall is not participating in the Panthers' voluntary offseason conditioning program to show his displeasure with being tendered at the second-round level. Marshall is hoping another team will send him an offer sheet, but it doesn't appear that there's much of a market for his services at this time.

AFC Whispers

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Rams re-sign DE Hall

Date: Mon, Mar 22, 2010

The Rams announced the re-signing of veteran DE James Hall on Monday. Hall, 33, had been an unrestricted free agent. He will be entering his 11th NFL season, and fourth as a member of the Rams.

"We are extremely happy to have James Hall back on our team," said head coach Steve Spagnuolo. "He was an integral part of our defense in 2009, and we're happy he'll be with us in 2010."

Hall started 14 games for St. Louis last season, racking up 59 tackles and 4.5 sacks. In 2008, Hall led the team in sacks with 6.5, despite playing hurt much of the season. Hall has 46.5 career sacks. He spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Lions.


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Rams' moves making first-round QB more likely

Date: Thu, Mar 18, 2010

Word is the recent free-agent signings of QB

A.J. Feeley and DT Fred Robbins appear to have tipped the Rams' first-round draft scale decidedly more in the direction of a quarterback than a defensive tackle. "Absolutely," one team insider said of the odds shifting more toward Sam Bradford than either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy with this year's first overall pick. "Feeley looks like the epitome of a 'bridge' quarterback, and Robbins — who the Rams believe still has something left in the tank — gives the Rams four tackles, if you also include Adam Carriker. Clifton Ryan is considered an ascending player at the position, and Dorell Scott came on late in the season." The Rams continued to focus on serviceable veterans in free agency with the addition of 10-year veteran Hank Fraley, who we hear could get a legitimate shot competing for the starting ORG spot vacated by Richie Incognito. "At the very least, he should be a helluva backup center behind Jason Brown," the insider said of Fraley.

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Rams sign free agent C Fraley

Date: Sun, Mar 14, 2010

The Rams added depth to their offensive line with the signing of veteran C Hank Fraley, who was recently released by the Browns. Fraley’s agent, Ralph Cindrich, announced the signing on Twitter. Fraley has played center for most of his 10-year career but also can play guard. He was a starter for the Browns from 2006-08 but made only four starts for Cleveland in '09. Fraley previously played six seasons for the Eagles.

Fraley will presumably be the primary backup at center behind 2009 free-agent addition Jason Brown, who has become the anchor of the Rams’ O-line in relatively short order. At the end of the season Brown was being backed up by Mark Setterstrom, a restricted free agent who did not receive a tender offer from the Rams.

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Merlin Olsen dies at age 69

Date: Thu, Mar 11, 2010

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Merlin Olsen — a Hall of Fame member of the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome” who went on to portray “Father Murphy” in a long-running TV show after his football career ended — has died at the age of 69.

Olsen was reportedly diagnosed with mesothelioma and had been undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy.

Olsen played his entire 15-year career for the Los Angeles Rams. Olsen chose the Rams, who selected him with the third overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft, over the Broncos, who selected him with the second overall pick in the AFL draft that same year. He provided an immediate impact with the Rams, being chosen as Rookie of the Year in 1962 and earned Pro Bowl berths in each of his first 14 NFL seasons.

Olsen retired after the 1976 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

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Rams sign QB Feeley

Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2010

The Rams have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with A.J. Feeley, who will presumably compete for the team’s backup QB job with Keith Null, who ended last season as the starter. Feeley, who turns 33 in May, spent the 2009 season with the Panthers and has not thrown a regular-season pass since 2007.

In his nine-year career, Feely has a 55.9 completion percentage and has thrown for 4,070 yards with a 27-29 TD-interception ratio. His best stretch came in 2002, when he led the Eagles to four victories in five starts.

In other news, the Rams announced that they had re-signed S Craig Dahl to a three-year contract one day after he was tendered at the lowest level as a restricted free agent.

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Rams far from deciding on top pick

Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2010

The league insiders who have been digging in the trenches, trying to find out just what exactly the Rams powers that be might really have up their collective sleeves this offseason, can certainly agree on one thing: Never, it seems, has the team holding the top overall pick in the NFL draft had so many intriguing options at its disposal.

At least Rams GM Billy Devaney was kind enough to narrow the field at this year's NFL Scouting Combine regarding the possible players the team would consider taking, should it decide not to trade down in late April.

Devaney mentioned a "Big Four" group consisting of, in no particular order, DTs Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh and QBs Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. Beyond that, though, he went out of his way to emphasize that the team's actual game plan is only in its infant stages.

"When you're 1-15, there's a lot of different directions you can go. And we're still trying to figure that out," Devaney said in Indianapolis. "There are pros and cons to whatever decision you decide to go. But we know this: If it comes down to that right now, there are four guys that will be given consideration. But we've got to be prepared for anything.

"If we do wind up trading down a little bit, we have to be ready. We have to have a bunch of guys in the hopper that we feel good about. Those four guys, sure, we like everything about them so far."

Devaney was pressed on the possibility of trading down, with the Rams having so many major needs to fill.

"It's too early for that," he said. "We haven't even gone through the free-agency period. That could alter (it). We're sitting here right now, thinking we need A, B, and C. If we sign a guy a couple weeks from now at that position, it may alter your draft strategy a little bit. So there haven't been any phone calls to any team whatsoever. I would think eventually that'll happen. But it's too early."

Adding to the intrigue surrounding the Rams — with NFL offseason activity just hours away from kicking into high gear with the official beginning of this year's free-agent period — are the trade rumors involving Eagles QBs Michael Vick and, to a lesser extent, Donovan McNabb.

"We haven't talked to the Eagles about any of their players," said Devaney, who has a history with Vick from their days together in the Atlanta organization. "This has come up a lot in St. Louis, and I have to stick to it. I can no more talk about Mike Vick than I can about Drew Brees or Tom Brady. He's a member of the Eagles. And he's under contract with the Eagles. But I can tell you this: We have not talked to any of their guys."

The way we hear it, Vick, who is due a $1.5 million roster bonus from the Eagles on March 10, is a lot more likely option for the Rams than McNabb, whose name raised eyebrows leaguewide when it was mentioned in a March 2 column by St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Bryan Burwell, who wrote that "the Rams have had intense internal conversations with the Eagles" regarding the Pro Bowl QB.

That said, the consensus is that both quarterbacks' names have indeed been brought up in the Rams' boardroom more than a few times.

But we hear the bigger focus for the Rams right now is on the "Big Four" with the Combine having just concluded and individual pro days just around the corner. Not surprisingly, the upcoming workouts of Bradford (March 25) and Clausen (April 9), neither of whom threw at the Combine due to shoulder and toe injuries, respectively, are expected to have a major influence on the Rams' strategy.

One well-known league insider, ESPN's Adam Schefter, went out on a limb recently when he all but guaranteed the Rams had their sights set on Bradford with the No. 1 pick — a prediction that Devaney humorously downplayed at the Combine.

"We feel really good about the health status of Sam Bradford now with Dr. Schefter giving him a clean bill of health and guaranteeing our pick," Devaney smirked. "So we're on to the second round right now."

Truth be told, while Schefter may be right about Bradford, we hear the Rams have a long way to go before they anoint the Oklahoma QB this year's top overall pick after he underwent reconstructive surgery on a shoulder that he initially injured in the 2009 season opener against Brigham Young and hurt again six weeks later on Oct. 17 vs. archrival Texas.

Devaney said that, besides the opinions of the Rams doctors and renowned Birmingham, Ala.-based shoulder specialist Dr. James Andrews, who operated on Bradford, the team would seek a third opinion from an independent doctor.

At the Combine, Bradford, who didn't look nearly as big as his Combine measurements (6-4 1/4, 236) — said he is "about 85 percent healed" from his surgery.

"I think Dr. Andrews is extremely happy with it," Bradford said. "He says I'm ahead of schedule right now — the velocity I'm putting on the ball, some of the throws I'm able to make right now. I feel like with another month's work, by the time my pro day gets here, I'll be able to make all the throws I was able to make before, with probably some more arm strength than I had before I got hurt."

Bradford said he has been throwing the ball every other day as part of his rehab.

"That's the schedule I'm on right now," he said. "When I get back from the Combine, I'm hoping to finish that rehab schedule and get to throw every day."

Bradford added that he has been throwing the ball 20-40 yards, "putting as much as I can on it. I feel like if you want to get your arm stronger, that's what you've got to do. I've gotten stronger every time that I've thrown, and it feels really good right now. No discomfort."

Clearly, he recognizes the importance of his upcoming pro-day performance in Norman, Okla.

"It's extremely important," Bradford said. "Obviously, it will be the first time that I've thrown in front of pro scouts since they've seen me play versus Texas when I got injured. So, I think everyone's really anxious to see my arm and how it looks after surgery."

The way we hear it, Bradford is a stronger possibility to be selected by the Rams than Clausen, who tore two ligaments in his right big toe in the third game this past season against Michigan State and gutted it out the rest of the season on painkillers. But there's no denying Clausen remains on the Rams' radar screen, perhaps as a strong second option in case Bradford can't literally shoulder the load in pre-draft workouts.

"There's a bigger body of work on Clausen (than Bradford)," Devaney said. "The guy is unbelievably impressive, his accuracy and all. We just want to look at arm strength — you just can't judge that all the time looking at tape. The other stuff, we're fine with all that. We just want to see him throw the ball live."

Moving to the other side of the ball, the Rams were able to see a lot more of what McCoy and Suh have to offer at the Combine, where both players scored points with pro talent evaluators by opting to fully participate in all the workouts in Indianapolis.

Former NFL personnel executive and current NFL Network and CBS Sports commentator Charley Casserly said at the Combine that McCoy and Suh were "1A and 1B," respectively, in his estimation.

"I ask two questions: Who's the better athlete, and who's the better pass rusher?" Casserly said. "McCoy comes up more often than not as the 'yes' guy there."

But with a straight face, Devaney said the Rams had both players ranked equally on their board for the time being.

"Oh, man, we're hoping somehow there's separation because in our eyes, there isn't any," Devaney said. "They're great players. They're going to be great players. They're character guys. They love playing football. I hope something happens where there is separation. But in our eyes, there isn't."

In the eyes of most onlookers at the Combine, there certainly wasn't much separation between McCoy and Suh. The consensus was that McCoy, who might have offered the best interview to the national media at this year's Combine, made a much better impression behind the podium than the soft-spoken Suh.

League insiders also have pointed out to us an under-the-radar red flag regarding Suh — the ticket he received last November for hitting three parked cars on a Lincoln, Neb., street on an early Sunday morning with a blood alcohol level of .035, well below Nebraska's legal limit of .08. (It's worth noting the well-documented manslaughter charge that was levied nearly 12 years ago against veteran DE Leonard Little that many team observers and Rams fans have had a hard time forgetting.)

In Combine workouts, though, Suh appeared to have the upper hand, cranking out nine more reps than McCoy (32 to 23) in the 225-pound bench press while each of them basically ran the same 40-time.

The bottom line?

In the days and weeks ahead, we hear it's quite possible that the Rams will change their minds on what to do with the top overall pick so frequently that they will make Brett Favre's indecision about retirement look tame by comparison.

Let the mind games really begin.

For the most authoritative NFL draft news and free-agency analysis, visit ProFootballWeekly.com.

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Devaney focused on QB, DT at top of draft

Date: Fri, Feb 26, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS— Rams GM Billy Devaney doesn't mind owning the No. 1 over draft pick this year. But he doesn't want to be in the same position 12 months from now.

"Everybody knows we have the first pick in the draft coming up," Devaney said as he addressed reporters during the NFL Scouting Combine Friday morning. "I certainly hope this time next year when we get together we're not talking about the first pick in the draft, I really hope we're not talking about the first pick in the draft next year."

As to what to do with the top pick, Devaney noted that there remains an enormous amount of research and scouting left to do. The Rams are focusing on four players— Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, North Dame QB Jimmy Clausen, Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy— as potential candidates to select first overall.

"I think there's something like 50-something days until we draft, until we're officially on the clock," Devaney said. "But it really seems like we've got a long way to go until we come to this decision. We're still in the information-gathering stage. This Combine is going to go a long way to answer some of those questions. The candidates, I think we pretty much know who the potential candidates are. There's still a lot of information that we need to get on some of these guys."

Devaney humorously addressed a bold report by ESPN's Adam Schefter that asserts there is no way the Rams won't draft Bradford next April.

"Well, you know what, that took a lot of pressure off of us right away. When Dr. Schefter cleared him medically …" Devaney joked. "We feel really good about the health status of Sam Bradford now with Dr. Schefter giving him a clean bill of health and guaranteeing our pick. We're on to the second round right now."

As for the prospect of passing on one of the quarterbacks and taking a defensive tackle at the top of Round One, something that hasn't been done since Dan Wilkinson was drafted first by the Bengals in 1994, Devaney said he has no qualms about making such a choice.

"When you get unique players that you deem difference makers, I don't think it makes any difference in what position that they play," Devaney said. "We may be wrong, but we think these two kids that we're talking about (Suh and McCoy) are really difference makers and they impact the game, so them being defensive tackles doesn't bother us at all. … If they would have come out five years ago, we would have been talking about them as the first pick. We think they're unique players."

But Suh and McCoy are not so different in terms of which one deserves to come off the board first. Devaney indicated that he's hopeful that one proves better than the other at some point in the next six weeks.

"Oh, man, we're hoping, somehow, there's separation, because right now, in our eyes, there isn't any," Devaney said. "They're both great players. They're going to be great players. They're great character guys. They both love playing football. I hope something happens where there is separation, but right now in our eyes, there isn't."

Devaney was asked whether he is disappointed that the top QB prospects— including Bradford and Clausen— won't be working out during the Combine.

"It's not worth getting frustrated over," Devaney said. "Some of these guys, it's legit. Physically, they can't work out. You've just got to roll with it. We'll see them work out before the draft. But I will say this: You'd love to see them work out. But for a quarterback here, it's not the greatest environment to show what they got. So, there's no sense freaking out about it. It is what it is. We'll get to see them throw eventually."

He elaborated on the difficulties that a passer faces when going through all the drills in front of scouts in Indianapolis.

"They're throwing to receivers they've never worked with before," Devaney noted. "They go to the pro days they'll have, and it's structured, it's organized, they're throwing to receivers that they know a lot about. They're throwing routes here that maybe they haven't thrown in college. And it's hard to get in a groove. You throw three balls and then you go to the end of the line and you wait for your turn to come again. You throw three balls and then you stand around. That's the best we can do, but it does make it hard for a quarterback."

Devaney said that it is important for teams to be flexible in determining their top needs at this point in the offseason, given that free agency has not started.

"We're sitting here right now thinking we need A, B and C," Devaney said. "If we sign a guy a couple weeks from now at the position, it might alter your draft strategy a little bit."

As the Rams continue doing their due diligence on the top prospects, especially at the top of the draft, Devaney did not rule out moving down in an effort to acquire more picks, something this 1-15 team could use, although he has not yet had conversations with teams interested in moving up.

"There haven't been any phone calls to any team whatsoever," he said. "Eventually that will happen, but it's too early."

For the most authoritative NFL draft news and free-agency analysis, visit ProFootballWeekly.com.

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Rams' majority sale likely to be approved

Date: Thu, Feb 18, 2010

Shahid Khan to the rescue?

The way we hear it, the odds are about 90 percent that NFL owners will approve the sale of the Rams' majority ownership to Khan, an Illinois-based self-made billionaire of Pakistani descent and loyal Rams fan who has vowed to keep the team in St. Louis.

Currently standing in the way of a done deal is Stan Kroenke, who had 60 days (beginning Feb. 12) to decide if he would retain his 40 percent ownership of the team — a likely scenario, according to sources close to the scene.

Should Kroenke suddenly decide that he wants to be bought out, however, sources have indicated that Khan, the 55-year-old president of Flex-N-Gate Corp. — an auto-parts manufacturer based in Urbana, Ill., with $2 billion in annual revenue — is prepared to become the 100 percent owner of the team, in which case he reportedly would pay roughly $750 million.

We hear the league's finance committee is currently in the process of evaluating Khan, who was recently embroiled in a tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service regarding tax shelters. Khan told the (Champaign, Ill.) News-Gazette in January 2009 that he paid the IRS $68 million in disputed taxes for 1999-2003.

It's also worth noting that Khan would become the first minority owner to take control of a franchise in league history, but sources don't believe that will have any bearing on whether or not league owners ultimately invite Khan into their exclusive men's club.

Barring any hiccups, the sale of a majority interest in the team to Khan will likely be approved at the owners' meetings in Dallas at the end of May — a time frame that would prevent Khan from being directly involved in any offseason football decisions.

What that means is a "business as usual" approach regarding the draft and free agency from GM Billy Devaney, executive VP of football operations/COO Kevin Demoff and head coach Steve Spagnuolo, all of whom no doubt figure to be extremely motivated to prove their worth.

As for Khan, the hope is that, if and when the sale to him is approved, he will quickly begin to connect with local heavyweights, with an eye toward rectifying the Rams' sticky stadium issue.

"By all accounts, he's a straight shooter who comes into his plant every Monday and addresses the rank and file," one team insider said of Khan. "The perception of him locally so far has been pretty good."

The third issue of PFW's new Draft Newsletter series, focusing on underclassmen in the upcoming draft and an exclusive 20-year analysis of how underclassmen have panned out over the years, is now ready. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format. You can also find details about other draft-related publications in the PFW store.

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Rosenbloom, Rodriguez to sell Rams to Khan

Date: Thu, Feb 11, 2010

The Rams have announced that owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez have entered into a signed agreement to sell the team to Illinois-based auto-parts manufacturer Shahid Khan, pending league approval.

“Lucia and I are happy and proud to welcome Shahid Khan to the Rams family,” Rosenbloom said. “He is a man of achievement who we believe can make a great contribution to the National Football League.”

The 55-year-old Khan is the president of Flex-N-Gate Corp., an auto-parts manufacturer based in Urbana, Ill.

League sources told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Khan will purchase the 60 percent of the team owned by siblings Rosenbloom and Rodriguez, who inherited the franchise from their late mother, Georgia Frontiere, in early 2008. The transaction is subject to NFL rules, including approval by league owners, and the rights of Stan Kroenke's entity as a Rams partner.

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Uncertainty abounds in Rams Nation

Date: Thu, Feb 4, 2010

Not only is "Up in the Air" a highly entertaining movie that is up for six Academy Awards, it also would be the perfect title for a movie on the Rams in the early stages of an offseason rife with uncertainty.

For starters, there is the potential sale of the team, which sources close to the scene tell us is very likely to happen before the draft in late April.

What isn't nearly as clear, however, is the most likely buyer, with three different groups said to be in the running to buy the 60 percent share of the team currently owned by Chip Rosenbloom and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez.

Only one of those groups, led by St. Louis Blues Chairman Dave Checketts, has been specifically cited by multiple sources, while the other two continue to be major mysteries.

While the group headed by Checketts appears firmly committed to keeping the Rams in St. Louis, there is speculation that the other two groups might ultimately have other ideas. That none of these groups has emerged as a clear front-runner has created more than a little apprehension under the Arch.

As if Rams Nation didn't have enough to worry about, there is also the suddenly uncertain future of the team's one true marquee player, RB Steven Jackson.

As first reported by the celebrity-news Web site TMZ.com, Jackson's former girlfriend Supriya Harris claimed she was physically abused by Jackson last March at his home in Las Vegas when she was nine months pregnant with the couple's son.

Jackson vehemently denied the charges, which Harris told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch she intends to follow up on.

"But before even being charged with anything, he's been damaged — and possibly for no good reason," one team insider said of Jackson.

"He had worked so hard to repair his image and appeared to have won a lot of fans over, and now he's right back where he started due to allegations that might not even be true."

Adding to the Rams' rampant uncertainty is the specific strategy the team has in mind with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Initially it was believed Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh was considered a near no-brainer as the No. 1 pick. But as of late, the name of Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy has picked up major steam on the rumor mill.

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the second issue now ready for mailing and a third issue focusing on underclassmen to be published in the next few weeks. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format. You can also find details about other draft-related publications in the PFW store.

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