What was a bit surprising was Bradford taking simulated snaps from under center; some scouts weren't sure if he'd be ready to do that consistently yet. He seems to have passed that test.
The question for Skins fans becomes: should we maybe, quietly, begin discussing with the Rams about how we can take him?
By all accounts, Bradford is a franchise QB. He's got a great throwing motion, underrated arm strength (Todd McShay said Bradford's arm is stronger than Mark Sanchez's was last year at his workout), and seems to have added bulk to his frame. Oh, he's also got a clean bill of health from Dr. James Andrews, the world's absolute best sports surgeon, according to some (and also the Redskins Senior Orthopaedic Consultant).
No matter what side of the Jason Campbell discussion you're on, you probably don't love him so much that you think he is THE franchise QB. Most people oscillate between him being a fringe-Pro Bowl player to simply a game manager. No one questions the value of franchise QBs; this year's Super Bowl duel between Drew Brees and Peyton Manning is a pretty clear example. If the Redskins, and Mike Shanahan, who groomed a guy named John Elway, thinks Bradford is the Redskins long-term answer at QB, does he give up the house to get him?
A somewhat similar example comes from 2004; Eli Manning was the prize, and the New York Giants were the suitors. The San Diego Chargers held the first pick in that year's draft. Manning's camp leaked that he was unwilling to play in San Diego and would rather play for New York. So the Giants swapped first round picks with the Chargers, and gave them a 2004 3rd round pick, as well as a 1st and 5th round picks in 2005. Jason Reid of The Washington Post's Redskins Insider hypothesizes the Skins may need to give up at least that much to get the 1st overall pick.
The Skins don't quite have that ammunition; they don't have a 3rd round pick this year because of their selection of defensive end Jeremy Jarmon in last year's supplemental draft. They do have the 5th pick in the 2nd round, which could bring down the cost of picks in 2011 the Skins would have to give up.
But there's also a hidden question about Bradford: would he prefer to play in D.C.?
According to a friend of mine who is a lifetime St. Louis resident, the Rams are on shaky ground. Their games are consistently in danger of being blacked out locally, a sure sign of weak fan support. And there's always that pesky rumor that LA wants their Rams back. Plus St. Louis really is a baseball town, no two ways about it.
If the Rams draft Bradford, he could very well be called upon early on to stat behind a woeful Rams offensive line in order to generate buzz. Ask Marc Bulger how that's going.
It's possible Bradford's people could see in St. Louis a losing situation and see in D.C. the chance to be groomed by Shanahan, widely regarded as an offensive genius, and his son, Kyle Shanahan, who has turned Matt Schaub into a top-tier NFL passer.
Many Skins fans would cringe at this possibility, especially if it means passing up Russell Okung, which it likely does. But if you think you can get the best QB of the next ten years, wouldn't you at least consider it?
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