One of the main concerns the Rams had when it came to deciding whether or not to select quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in April was his shoulder after he had surgery on it at Oklahoma. But in the team’s preseason opener against the Vikings on Saturday night, those fears can be somewhat put to rest.
Even though Minnesota sacked him four times, Bradford said after the game that his shoulder “feels great.” He went on to say that he wasn’t even sore, although the true test will be how he feels today – the morning after his first NFL experience.
Bradford finished 6-of-13 for 57 yards on the night after a promising start. He hit receiver Laurent Robinson in stride on a slant pattern for an 18-yard gain on third down and then continued to take what the defense gave him.
He did struggle after that, however, going three-and-out on one possession and taking two sacks on each of his next two drives, but the key is that he didn’t look overwhelmed. He may have even been too comfortable in the pocket. One thing to keep in mind is that he didn’t have great protection either.
On a whole, the Rams had to be pleased with how their young quarterback handled himself under pressure. Of course, after taking shot after shot, the Rams are probably just glad he made it out of the game with his shoulder still attached.
