ST. LOUIS — For Sam Bradford, the thrill of getting picked first in the NFL draft overruled any concerns about being a savior.
The St. Louis Rams took the Oklahoma quarterback Thursday night, hoping he can help revive a franchise that has bottomed out from its long-ago days as “The Greatest Show on Turf.”
“You have no idea how excited I am just to have the opportunity to come to St. Louis and play my NFL career there,” Bradford said in a conference call. “It’s just a blessing and I can’t wait to get there and get to work.”
St. Louis, which released Marc Bulger this month, was 1-15 a year ago and has a sorry 6-42 record the past three years. Over time, general manager Billy Devaney persuaded coach Steve Spagnuolo, who has a defensive background, that taking the 6-foot-4 Bradford was the right move.
“We don’t see any negatives — rare size, accuracy off the charts,” Devaney said. “He’s a much better athlete, especially when you see him live, than I gave him credit for early on in this process.
“I happen to think he’s the whole package.”
Bradford was the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, and he convinced the Rams that he has recovered from shoulder surgery last October.
