Report: Rams expect a deal with Bradford soon

The St. Louis Rams will kick off Year 2 of the Steve Spagnuolo era on Thursday at their complex and Year 1 of the Sam Bradford era.

More and more, signs point to Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the draft, being on time for the beginning of camp, a good sign for the Rams, who are in need of those these days.

Rams general manager Bill Devaney told Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com there is a “really good chance” that Bradford is signed before camp begins. For a GM to come out and speak with that kind of optimism tells us that the Rams and Bradford’s agent Tom Condon are far along in negotiations. At this point, it’s fair to speculate that the sides are ironing out small details.

Bradford will pull down a record-setting deal for draft picks and will likely command somewhere in between $45 million and $50 million in guaranteed money. But no starting job is being handed out to the former Oklahoma star. He’s going to have to earn it. Devaney indicated that Bradford will have to battle A.J. Feeley and Keith Null for the starting assignment.

“Nobody wins a job in OTAs and minicamps. That’s with any position,” Devaney told Marvez. “You go to training camp, that’s when the battle begins. It will be an open competition. I know it sounds crazy, but Keith Null will be in the mix. He made great strides from year one. I don’t want to discount him. We’re going to see what he looks like, too.”

The Rams didn’t draft Bradford to watch for long. If he isn’t starting in Week 1, expect it before the midpoint of the season. The club will simply have too much invested in him to have him sit.

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