The St. Louis Rams have reportedly given Sam Bradford permission to seek a trade, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Given the young quarterback's injury history and contract situation, getting worthwhile compensation might be difficult for the Rams, but the team has apparently told Bradford's agent that he is free to speak with other clubs.
Rams grant Sam Bradford permission to seek trade, according to report
The Rams have reportedly told Sam Bradford he can seek a trade. Where are the most likely landing spots for the former No. 1 overall draft pick?
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This year's group of available quarterbacks -- in the draft and free agency -- is considered weak, and there are plenty of teams out there in need of a QB. Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, put up solid numbers when healthy, but he remains a question mark because he has missed so much time with injuries. He is still talented, though, and likely will attract a significant amount of attention on the trade market.
Several teams in the top 10 of the draft order -- including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets -- are seeking upgrades at the quarterback position, but it's not a certainty that they'll take either of the top consensus prospects, Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. Those clubs might decide that they'd prefer to gamble on Bradford and save their top pick, either for an impact player at a different position or as trade bait for future assets.
There are also a few other interesting teams that pick later in the draft -- the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles -- who might want to take a chance on Bradford. Each of those teams ranked in the bottom half of the league in passer rating last season and don't have established franchise quarterbacks on their rosters.
The Browns might be the most intriguing member of that group. They own two first-round picks, and have an unstable quarterback situation with Brian Hoyer set to hit free agency and Johnny Manziel coming off a rocky rookie season. Buffalo is also desperate for a quarterback, with Kyle Orton now retired and EJ Manuel facing an uncertain future. Without a first-round pick, they may need to scour the free agent and trade markets for a signal caller.
Bradford has been limited to just seven games over the last two seasons after suffering two torn ACLs. In 2012, his most recent full season, he threw for 3,702 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Bradford is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and has a cap charge of $16.6 million for 2015. The Rams can save nearly $13 million in cap space if they release or trade the sixth-year quarterback this winter, per overthecap.com.
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