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Opinion, Top PostsCollege Watch: Bradford enters bizarro realm
DRAFT GEEK
NFLPosts.com
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford must be a Seinfeld fan.
At least, that’s what one could conclude considering Bradford’s draft stock is plummeting faster than it takes JaMarcus Russell to throw an interception.
Bradford’s favorite episode would no doubt be the one where George haggles for $5,000 less than what was initially offered by NBC poobah Russell Dalrymple – all in an effort to get the Jerry pilot back into production.
“The basic idea of negotiation, as I understand it, is to get your price to go… up,” a bewildered Jerry tells the dimwitted George when hearing of the news.
“You know, this is how they negotiate in the bizarro world.”
It’s a place the Sooners QB has put himself in.
Bradford underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will most likely forgo his senior year to enter the NFL draft should his rehab go well.
A 4-6 month recovery period is expected, a time frame that could take him right into the draft.
What has NFL scouts shaking their collective heads is Bradford’s decision to even return for his junior campaign.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, Bradford had the world in his back pocket. He easily won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for a school-record 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns, guiding the most explosive offense in recent memory.
Scouts drooled over Bradford’s decision-making and pinpoint accuracy – the latter being the best since some guy named Peyton Manning came out 11 years ago.
The talk had Bradford going among the top five picks in the draft, giving him guaranteed money somewhere between $28-40 million.
In true Costanza fashion, Bradford shocked the football world by passing, citing dreams of a national title, which Oklahoma came one game short of against Florida last year.
I guess nobody informed the gunslinger the Sooners were about to lose four of their five offensive linemen, a unit that prevented him from getting grass stains on his red and white uniform throughout his Heisman season.
An adviser might have also mentioned to young Sam that big-play wide receivers Manuel Johnson and Juaquin Iglesias were leaving for the NFL.
Those points were literally driven home in the Sooners’ opening game, when BYU linebacker Coleby Clawson got a clean shot on Bradford, causing the QB to suffer a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.
No surgery was needed and Bradford returned after missing three games. Following a strong effort against Baylor, it took all of seven plays for Bradford to hurt the same shoulder in Oklahoma’s clash with rival Texas.
How easy was it for him to get hurt? Longhorns cornerback Aaron Williams didn’t even hit Bradford around the upper body, yet down went the kid once more in agony.
Depending how his rehab goes, it’s likely Bradford will have a short window to workout for NFL teams.
Even with renowned specialist Dr. James Andrews performing his magic, the thought of a club – selecting in the top 15 – taking a chance on Bradford after witnessing the same injury in a six-week span is hard to fathom.
Teams are reluctant to throw millions of dollars to a healthy rookie quarterback, much less one who suddenly has durability issues.
Let’s say the Lions still went with Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick last April, the belief here is that Bradford would’ve been taking with the fifth selection, the spot where Mark Sanchez received $28 million in guarantees.
I’ll be a nice guy and predict Bradford only slides out of the first 15 slots this year, that would still cost the 21-year-old roughly $18 million, money he will never recoup.
The number will obviously increase should Bradford do a Brady Quinn and sink lower.
Bradford tempted logic and got burned – a decision even George Costanza would ridicule.
