May 26, 2013

NFL Draft Rumors: Browns Interest in Sam Bradford is Growing

February 24, 2010 by 36 Comments

Sam Bradford HeismanAs the 2010 NFL season is set to kick off in nine days, the Browns quarterback situation continues to be at the forefront of all questions.  While Derek Anderson is due a roster bonus and Brady Quinn has done little to impress Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini to this point, there is reportedly a growing interest in soon-to-be rookie quarterback Sam Bradford.

Approximately one month ago, WFNY linked Oklahahoma’s Bradford to Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert as his name had allegedly been atop the team’s big board at the quarterback position.  A report that later followed via The OBR would confirm these thoughts, and now the latest – also via The Orange and Brown Report’s John Taylor - places Bradford in possibly even higher regard as the Browns inch closer to draft day.

Taylor deems the interest as “increased chatter,” and recommends that fans keep an eye on the situation as we head into Bradford’s Pro Day.

While Bradford is coming off of an injury-shortened senior year with the Sooners, his skill set continues to be widely considered as ideal for a Mike Holmgren offense.  His accuracy is considered the best of any quarterback entering the draft, and his agent has made it clear that Bradford is “well ahead of schedule” coming off of his reconstructive surgery.

Holding the seventh selection overall, the Browns have been linked to several different high-caliber players.  Defensive back Eric Berry (considered a stretch by many), cornerback Joe Haden and even wide receiver Dez Bryant have all seen their names linked to Cleveland in various mock drafts.  The issue at hand is that Bradford’s name is typically one that is taken off of the board before the seventh pick comes to fruition.

Scout.com’s Chris Steuber and ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay all have Bradford going fourth overall to the Washington Redskins, another team with a new regime heading into this year.  Chris Burke of the NFL FanHouse has Bradford being selected sixth overall by the Seattle Seahawks, a team with an aging quarterback in the last year of his contract in Matt Hasselbeck.

Given that a handful of teams within the top five of this year’s NFL Draft are looking to move down, there would be opportunity for the Browns to obtain Bradford if they truly felt that he was the longterm answer under center.  Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has reported that the Browns will be moving towards some form of the West Coast Offense, where completion percentage is crucial.

Brady Quinn completed 53.1 percent of his 256 pass attempts while Derek Anderson was considerably worse with a mark of 44.5 percent.

“Whichever team drafts me will get a winner, an extremely accurate quarterback and a really fierce competitor,” said Bradford.

During his Heisman trophy-winning season in 2008, Bradford completed 68 percent of his 483 pass attempts, totaling 4,721 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

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(Image courtesy The NY Times)

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  • Stinkfist

    NNNOOOO!!

  • Tron

    Please God NO. Nothing like a rookie QB fresh off shoulder surgery to help pick a franchise off the ground… ugh

  • mike

    i LOVE bradford’s dirk diggler-style 70′s ‘do.

  • BP

    We already have one dreamy QB with Brady Quinn. If we have 2 dreamy QBs we’ll be the envy of the league. I think Holmgren will pick Bradford if he’s available based on my calculations.
    Dreaminess = Superbowl

  • Alex

    Thank god Peter King is around to tell us what everyone figured out the minute Holmgren was hired. Is there a more useless NFL “reporter” anywhere?

    This makes me a moderately sad panda.

  • jimkanicki

    if holmgren thinks he’s the pick, i’m ok with that.
    for crying out loud we’re (al is) giving him $10,000,000,000/year to be tsar/guru. let him be the tsar/guru!

  • Eli

    One thing I will say about Bradford’s injury. Alot of people said that Drew Brees was pretty much washed up after having his arm basically torn off with San Diego. But I hear he has done some nice things since then.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udne9JTds5A TS T 2B Cavs Dude

    Hey, Save us some money and pick up Smith from the Ravens! If you must have a draft pick get TeBow!

  • Lyon

    Agree Jim.

  • ben

    Can we play both Sam and Brady at QB at the same time and let their dreaminess dominate the field of play?

  • Gren

    @10 it’s the new Wildcat. 2 QB’s on the field at the same time, whose going to throw the 2 yard pass ?

  • Alex

    I would rather give Troy Smith a chance, then to spend the money on bradford who’s messed his arm up twice already.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    Regarding the “twice” issue – it was the same injury that just never healed fully the first time. He put off surgery, which was dumb in hindsight.

  • Matt#2

    Sam Bradford’s gonna run for Senate; just look at him.

  • TBrown

    I could get behind this, if Holmgren really thinks he’s the pick. We, of all fan-bases, know how hard it is to find a franchise caliber QB. Not every draft has one, but Bradford might be it.

    I’d wonder what the Browns were going to do in free agency, though, if they draft a rookie QB. For the money they’d be throwing at him, Bradford would have to play (and play well) fairly early on. Would the front office try and surround him with talent through free agency? Or draft young guys who would mature with him?

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    Yea great just what the Cleveland Browns need is to draft yet another rookie QB. I sure hope for the sake of this town and this franchise that if Bradford is chosen at #7 that I’m wrong and so is history otherwise stick a fork in another 4-5 years of wasted time when it comes to football.

    This makes absolutely no sense. For a franchise that has shown it cannot draft at the QB position to be supposedly interested in yet another rookie QB who is coming off a serious injury when there are more holes on the Browns roster then Swiss cheese. Therefore I hope it’s just a smoke screen.

  • mgbode

    “For a franchise that has shown it cannot draft at the QB position to be supposedly interested in yet another rookie QB”

    That is very flawed thinking….Holmgren has a very good history at drafting/trading for QBs and he is the guy pulling the strings. Heckert also was involved with drafting Kolb, so he has something positive in his history as well.

  • mgbode

    that said….I am not enamored with ANY of the QBs this year and I hope we get one of the defensive studs in this draft.

    Obviously, Holmgren knows a lot more than any of us though…

  • bobby

    Ya Im with people who are hoping for a big D stud (Berry, Haden) but I would trust Holmgren for now if he feels Bradford is his guy. I would question why WAS didnt pick him assuming they had the chance. They have their team doc evaluating him and doing his surgery, so if WAS doesnt draft him do to injury concerns, I would steer clear.

  • Clown Baby

    I could get behind Bradford as QB….Boy Howdy could I get behind him.

  • ben

    *patiently waits for Mallet / Locker comment*

  • AMC

    I like Bradford, just not for the Browns at #7.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    I’m admittedly disappointed that no one noticed who was hiding behind the Heisman that night… It was foreshadowing.

  • JPS3

    A human being with one working shoulder is tough as it is. A human being with one working shoulder being asked to play QB in the NFL is a complete waste. Please stay away from him.

  • BuckeyeDawg

    Holmgren has worked with three hall of fame QB’s, in Montana, Young, and Favre, and another pretty good one in Hasselbeck. All of these guys have at least been to a Super Bowl, and three of them won it. Montana and Favre are arguably the two greatest QB’s of all time.

    If I was making the call, I would be looking at defense. But if Holmgren likes what he sees in Bradford, and has every reason to believe that his shoulder will be 100%, then who am I to argue?

  • Mark

    @JPS3 – And that is exactly what the Dolphins thought when they passed on signing Drew Brees.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @17 mgbode I think your opinion is flawed so how do you like ‘dem apples? ;) I love how people call other people’s opinions flawed. I don’t know how much success Holmgren has had with personally addressing the QB position I wouldn’t call Matt Haselbeck stellar all the other times Holmgren interacted with QBs it came from someone else getting those QBs. I don’t believe Holmgren played any role in any SF QB additions and in GB he didn’t trade for Favre so that only leaves Seattle and Haselbeck.

    As for Heckert drafting Kolb last time I checked Donovan McNabb has played the most games for the Eagles since Kolb’s drafting and is still their starting QB so I don’t know how much weight you can give that pick but maybe I have a higher standard when it comes to quarterback play.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @25 Buckeyedawg working with them and drafting/scouting them are two very different things. In the end of course it’s up to Holmgren who we have to defer to that’s what he’s being paid we’re simply giving our opinions. To me it just doesn’t make sense for a team that has as many holes as the Cleveland Browns to once again look at drafting an uknown, unproven rookie QB but again, that’s just my opinion.

  • mydogsnameisbuckeye

    Damaged goods. I was hoping his draft stock would drop considerably when the injury happened several months ago for the sole purpose OF THIS NOT HAPPENING. I knew there would be all kinds of things about the Browns and their QB situation when draft talks would heat up, and I didn’t want the Browns to draft a QB. I hope Seattle picks him up before us (they need him), so we can’t and we’re forced to pick a player for the other side of the ball.

    However, in the end, I will stand behind whatever Holmgren decides.

  • TSR3000

    I want bpa no matter what position. Whether its Berry, Bradford, Bryant, etc.

  • Mark

    @boogeyman – I dont think you are giving Holmgren enough credit in picking and develping those previous QBs. Do you think Ron Wolfe traded for Favre without getting the opinion of his head coach? Did Favre succede without being developed by Holmgren? I think you might be underestimating Hasselbeck. He lead his team to a Super Bowl and was a top 10 QB for just about every year in Seattle except when he was hurt. If Holmgren knows only one thing its quarterbacks. I trust him completely.

  • jaws

    for the love of god, NO. Take Haden, or if Berry falls.

    Build a solid TEAM around our quarterback position. Hand Brady Quinn the reigns (purely because he has a contract already, won’t cost a pick or trade assets) and tell him “ok kid show us what you’ve got, its your team.” Lets see how he does without fearing for his job.

    Let’s see if he can lead a team and manage a game when he isn’t interviewing for his job every snap and knows if he makes some mistakes he can work though it. Some guys the only way to get better is to actually get out there and do.

    If quinn works out, great. If he doesn’t there’s plenty of talent at the quarterback position in the 2011 draft, and I’m sure there will be guys in the 2012 draft too.

    Just because the quarterback position is the most important on the field doesn’t mean you have to draft that first. Lets build a team.

  • Chuck

    I’m with Jaws @ 32.

  • BomberDawg

    I couldn’t agree more with Jaws #32. Sam Bradford will be a bad mofo in the NFL….however, does anyone recall a man named Trent Dilfer who led his TEAM to win Super Bowl 35. Build the team first, even though Bradford would be a great QB for us, we need a team set up to later insert the right man under center to lead. I have to believe for the first time in decades players would want to be on the Browns under Mike Holmgren. The guy is a winner and the locker room should be a positive place…something is being built at every position, not just one.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @31 Mark I was speaking from the standpoint of Holmgren selecting a quarterback not working with one I have no tangile proof of whether Holmgren made any of the quarterbacks he worked with better or not. The only quarterback you named who we know that Holmgren played a part in bringing to his team was Hasselbeck, I could be wrong on that this is off-hand, so I don’t see a large sample size with which to compare. We can debate Hasselbeck’s resume personally I wouldn’t list him if I were to ever discuss the quarterback position using the adjective BEST but that’s just my opinion. No matter what the Browns do I have to believe they will be better off with the new braintrust otherwise what was the point. That being said I think it’s a mistake to repeat the same process of bringing in another rookie QB on a team that needs more then just a QB. Of course I thought Mangini should have been canned as well and I was wrong on that I just hope I’m wrong and by keeping Mangini and his staff that the Browns improvement is handicapped by their retention.

  • Mark

    @35 boogeyman – I think you are being incredibly disingenuous when you say, “I have no tangile proof of whether Holmgren made any of the quarterbacks he worked with better or not.” Come on, you can’t really believe that can you? A head coach who’s entire career is based on coaching QB’s might not have any effect on developing them? Doesn’t pass the sniff test.

    We can disagree on subjective ranking on Matt Hasselbeck. I am ok with that. But would you agree that Hasselbeck is better than anything the Browns have had in the last 10 years? I would.

    I do agree that the Browns need more than just a QB so why start there. However, I also believe in the Holmgren/QB connection a lot more than you do so, because of that, I would be ok if Holmgren takes a QB @ 7.

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