Greg Maddox, Alestle Reporter
by Greg Maddox, Alestle Reporter
Coaches, scouts, managers, assistants, and whoever else could make it from all 32 teams in the NFL made their way to Norman, Oka. last Monday to watch somebody throw a football 63 times. Before you say “what a waste of time” I should clarify that the man throwing the ball was former Heismann Trophy winner and top quarterback prospect Sam Bradford.
Bradford threw a scripted 50 passes and an additional 13 to his Oklahoma teammates, the first time Bradford has thrown in front of the public in almost six months. As most college football fans know, Bradford injured his shoulder in the second game of the season and came back three weeks later only to re-injure the same shoulder after a 300-pound defensive lineman drove Bradford into the turf. Bradford ended his season early and underwent surgery to repair the shoulder.
James Andrews, known as the authority when it comes to joint and ligament injuries to athletes, performed the surgery and has since given Bradford his stamp of approval. Andrews says Bradford’s shoulder is healed and is well ahead of the curve as far as his physical therapy goes. No questions have arisen about Bradford’s health since the end of the season, and his strong pro day performance has seemingly answered any other questions about the strength of the shoulder.
The St. Louis Rams hold the number one pick in the draft and have a colossal hole at the quarterback spot. Bulger is old, injury prone, and has a heavy contract, Kyle Boller is going to be looking for a job outside of the NFL, and Keith Null can be a solid backup. The Rams have needed a franchise quarterback for awhile, and Bradford could be the answer.
Many fans will clamor for top defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but a team as bad as the Rams needs the hope that a franchise quarterback can bring. Steve Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney were both in Norman to watch and speak with Bradford.
Bradford completed every pass he threw at the pro day and looked good doing it, throwing with zip and accuracy. His footwork was solid and showed impressive drop-back abilities. While it is important to emphasize the fact that it was not against a live defense, everyone was impressed with how strong Bradford threw the ball. Gil Brandt, considered a godfather of modern scouting, called the workout the best he had seen since Troy Aikman in the 90s.
A pro-day shouldn’t guarantee the number one spot for Bradford, but it should wrap up all the questions that needed to be asked about the health of his shoulder. All it comes down to now is whether or not the Rams decode to take the plunge and take their franchise quarterback at number one; something they haven’t done since the 1960’s.
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