The 2010 NFL Draft: QB or not QB?

That is the question if you are the St. Louis Rams and finished an NFL-worst 1-15 (ouch!) in 2009.  In fact, the Rams have won just 6 of their last 48 games, setting an NFL record for futility.  Last year's rookie head coach (Steve Spagnuolo) and rookie GM (Billy Devaney) got a pass for having to deal with an old, underachieving roster that was basically bereft of talent, especially once injuries had their way with the team.  This is the 2nd season for Spags and Devaney and probably will be the first under new ownership, if the team sale to Shahid Khan goes through as anticipated.  The fan base is restless, to say the least, and wants to start seeing some results.  But the task is daunting; turning around a 1-15 nightmare will require a massive roster turnover and will take time.  And time is something that Spags and Devaney may not have a whole lot of.

After the college conference championship games this season, one man became the consensus "best player in the country."  That man is Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.  He had a lights-out senior season and is dominant on the front line, stout against the run and one heck of a pass rusher as well.  As time has gone on, some have declared Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy to be his equal or even better, mostly based on how his game projects to the NFL.  Still, the majority think Suh is the man.  And with the Rams awful against the run last year and unable to muster any sort of consistent pass rush, he should be the no-brainer pick at #1, right?

Maybe not.  Enter Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.  Bradford surprised many people when he decided to come back to Oklahoma in 2009; the thought was that if he had turned pro he more than likely would have been the first overall pick in the 2009 draft.  But he returned to Oklahoma for a chance to win the national title.  His hopes were quickly dashed when he injured his throwing shoulder not once, but twice during the season.  After the second injury he shut down for the rest of the year to focus on rehab and announced he would enter the 2010 draft.  Now his status is basically unknown.  If he hadn't been injured, he would automatically be one of the top 5 players in the draft.  His surgery went well, he is ahead of schedule in rehab and is throwing the ball 20-40 yards 100 times every other day.  He will have his pro day workout in late March where he will be put through the ringer to see just how ready he is.  And this is where the Rams are in the toughest of tough spots.

If Bradford throws well at the pro day workout and gets a clean bill of health from the doctors, what should the Rams do?  Because as bad as the defense was last year, the offense was worse.  And not only that, it was b-o-r-i-n-g.  It was painful to watch and many fans simply chose not to as the year wore on.  And while the old axiom may be that defense wins championships (and that's oversimplifying things, but that's a whole other blog), offense puts fans in the seats.  A team can be mediocre as long as they are still somewhat fun to watch.  But when they are dreadful, no one wants to pay any attention.

There is no doubt that QB is the premier position in the NFL.  If you have no viable option at QB and have a chance to draft a player that you feel is a potential franchise QB, you do it.  If Bradford had not been injured, I think the Rams would take him without a doubt.  As it is now, I still think they are seriously considering making him the pick.  If his pro day goes well, I have little doubt the Rams can convince themselves that Bradford is their guy.  Devaney has already gone on record as saying that if a QB grades out close to the top, you take the QB even if he's not quite at the top.  But passing on Suh is a risky proposition as well.  Many Rams' fans are convinced he is the best player in the draft and that if you have the first pick then you must take the best player.  Many are wary of Bradford not only because of his injury history but also because they feel he will have little impact on the team this year, especially with little talent around him.  Meanwhile the thought is that Suh could instantly make the DL better by occupying 2 blockers and freeing up defensive end Chris Long.

I myself am on the fence.  I lean a bit towards Bradford, simply because there is more value in a QB and I thought he was an elite QB before the injury.  If he checks out okay, then I think it is worth the gamble.  At the very least his work ethic, character and leadership are unquestioned.  He is a very accurate passer and has above-average arm strength.  He interviewed very well at the combine and is seen as very intelligent.  It is true that drafting QBs early is a risky business, but if you look back at past drafts, picking DTs early is no picnic either; many early picks have turned out to be duds.  As good as Suh is, and make no mistake he is very good, there is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL draft.  Rams' fans will be in an uproar if the pick is Bradford and he is mediocre or especially if he hurts that shoulder again and Suh goes on to be a dominant presence.  You can make a case for either player.  The problem for the Rams is that they have to get this one right.