The St. Louis Rams recently moved in closer to drafting Sam Bradford as they released quarterback Marc Bulger, who has been their starter since taking over for Kurt Warner in 2003. Despite a promising start, Bulger’s career in St. Louis was mired by injury and a team that lacked talent at key positions. Now the veteran has an opportunity to test the free market and the Rams look to move on by selecting his replacement this year in the draft, with the likely successor being Sam Bradford from Oklahoma with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. This would, of course, start the great debate about when the Rams should give Bradford the keys to the offense as the starting quarterback.

Selecting Brand Levitra Bradford, which appears to almost be a guarantee after Bulger’s release, would instantly bring a level of national coverage to the Rams that they haven’t had since the Kurt Warner days and will also substantially help sell St. Louis Rams tickets. Bradford has a ton of talent and certainly projects as a franchise quarterback, which should give Rams fans plenty to look forward to in the future.

If the Rams were to select Bradford, though, they will have to be careful not to push him into starting too soon. Behind a porous offensive line, Bulger had a myriad of injuries that hampered his ability to complete a full season and the Rams’ offensive line looks to be one of the league’s worst again in 2010. Due to the success of recent rookie quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, there will likely be considerable pressure to push Bradford into starting by the end of the year, which will only be a good decision if the Rams’ line can show improvement. While Ryan, Flacco and Sanchez did have significant success their rookie seasons, Bradford wouldn’t have anywhere near the same level of talent to work with and starting him too soon could seriously stunt his development.

But with Bradford assured to be the highest paid player on the Rams in 2010, due to the unbelievable rookie contracts currently in the NFL, it will make it difficult to justify sitting him on the bench. Running back Stephen Jackson is still one of the best in the game, despite the offensive line’s limitations, but with him turning 27 before the start of the season, the Rams have to know that a sharp decline in production could be coming fairly shortly. Considering Jackson is their best overall player by far, many will be clamoring to get him on the field with Bradford as soon as possible.

The reality of the situation, however, is that Jackson and Bradford are most likely to be ships that pass in the night. Even the best quarterbacks in the league like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers didn’t have immediate success as starting quarterbacks. Manning threw 29 interceptions his rookie season, Brees was proclaimed a bust by many after a slow start in San Diego and Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers both sat behind bona fide starters at least for a year or two. By the time that Bradford develops as a top-tier starting quarterback, if he ever does, Jackson will almost certainly be nearing the finish line as a feature running back. In other words, before ever stepping foot on an NFL field, Bradford will be the future of the franchise, which is a future that likely won’t have Jackson as too much a part of it. Rushing to get Bradford on the field with Jackson will do the Rams no favors in the long run.

But the state of rookie contracts in the NFL certainly makes it a difficult decision, and one that isn’t solely about what’s best for a development of a football player. If the Rams select Bradford first overall, Cialis he will be instantly one of the highest paid players in the league, placing the already flawed Rams roster in a bind if they don’t play their highest paid player. While the NFL will likely address the rookie contract situation after the 2010 season, the Rams will have to deal with it for this year’s draft. Despite the temptation to start Bradford in 2010, however, they would be much better off bringing in a solid veteran to play in his stead in order to think about the long-term success of the franchise. Signing a rookie quarterback first overall is an arduous project in today’s NFL that requires patience and timing. The Rams will soon find that out the hard way.

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