INDIANAPOLIS -- Rams general manager Les Snead mentioned it over and over on Wednesday: "Deleting (Sam Bradford) is not the answer."
Still, he might need to clarify his stance.
A CBS Sports report indicating that the Rams have given Bradford and his agent permission to seek a trade dropped in the middle of Snead's press conference. His response?
"I did say deleting him was not the answer," Snead said when told about the report. "I don't know if that solves our riddle. That's breaking news, that's what that is. Do you want to trade for Sam?"
Most of this was said tongue-in-cheek, but when Snead was asked for a clear answer, he had this:
"If some team was interested I certainly don't blame them," Snead said. "But I'll stick to what I said earlier: Deleting him is not the answer."
Snead's routine could have just been a polite way of denying the report unless, of course, the report is true. Then, Snead was being coy. But most of his time Wednesday was spent talking about the difficulty of finding a quarterback and how threadbare the free-agent market is at the moment. He likened the position group -- especially in St. Louis -- to a starting pitching rotation that needs as many quality bodies as possible.
Even though Bradford is an injury risk, it would seem like keeping him around would be in Snead's best interest. The team stayed in house to find their offensive coordinator and are building a stable of skill position players around the quarterback position.
Letting Bradford go would erase all that and force a general manager of a losing team to dive into the positional abyss that has defined this draft and offseason.
"There's stones out there, but once you turn them over, there's nothing underneath them," he said.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down RGIII's appointment as starter and Larry Fitzgerald's new deal with the Cardinals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
