If there were any doubts about the St. Louis Rams' commitment to quarterback Sam Bradford, he put them to rest Tuesday when he revealed the team made it clear it wouldn't select a quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft.
"Pretty much from the beginning, they told me that I was their guy and that I had no reason to worry about them taking a quarterback in this draft," Bradford told NFL Network on Tuesday.
The Cleveland Brownsreportedly inquired with the Rams about trading for Bradford in March, but first-year coach Jeff Fisher publicly said the team wasn't interested in shipping the two-year veteran. Before the Rams traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Washington Redskins, some, like NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly, even speculated St. Louis might elect to use that selection to draft a new quarterback, like Robert Griffin III.
Bradford said he has noticed a definite positive change with Fisher, who was hired during the offseason after amassing a 142-120 record in 16 full seasons as coach of the Tennessee Titans and Houston Oilers.
"Coach Fish has been great," Bradford said. "I think everyone in our locker room really respects him and what he's been able to do in his time in the league.
"We're all behind him, and I can't wait to get out there and play for him."
Bradford impressed during his rookie season, throwing for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns, before struggling in 2011. He had trouble staying healthy, starting just 10 games and throwing for just six touchdowns (and having six passes picked off) while the Rams went 1-9 with him under center.
"I think obviously it was a rough year," Bradford said. "It was a tough year, mentally and physically. But I think I learned a lot, you know, about myself, about what it takes to win in this league and just how hard it is. I'm going to try to use everything I learned last year in a way to help us win games this year."
