Sam Bradford is the cream of the quarterback crop

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, an official member of th Cherokee Nation, will likely dodge what would be a very awkward situation come NFL draft day.

The Washington Redskins select fourth in the draft, but recently traded for a quarterback in Donovan McNabb. Bradford said he would not have any reluctance about playing for the Redskins, whose nickname remains offensive to many Native Americans.

"That's not something I'm gonna worry about now," Bradford said. "If that's something I have to face later on down the road, I will."

Bradford is likely to be the first player taken in the 2010 NFL draft, which will be held April 22-24. The St. Louis Rams hold the No. 1 pick and just released veteran quarterback Marc Bulger on April 5.

Draft day will be the culmination of Bradford's twisting road to the NFL. Last year, with Oklahoma's roster full of future NFL players, Bradford decided to return to OU for his junior season.

It made sense. He was coming off winning the Heisman trophy and figured the Sooners could mount a serious national championship bid. As many as three of Bradford's teammates – defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, offensive tackle Trent Williams and tight end Jermaine Gresham – could be selected in the first round of the draft.

But Bradford's national title aspirations came crashing down when he suffered a shoulder injury in the season opener against Brigham Young. He delayed having surgery and tried to play again three weeks later.

He was able to return and had a solid game against Baylor before aggravating the injury against Texas. Surgery was required.

"It was a reconstruction of the AC joint," Bradford said recently. "They just went in ... pretty much with like a nylon braid and put the clavicle back in place."

Physically, Bradford has recovered. He put on a passing display at his pro day workout on March 25 and showed off some added muscle with the hopes of dispelling notions that he's fragile. But the key will be his convincing the Rams that he has the mettle to control the huddle, function in the locker room and command the respect of veterans.

Billy Devaney, the Rams general manager, knows the perils of picking among the first selections of the draft The former executive with San Diego (1990-2000) and Falcons executive (2006-08) knows what's he's looking for in a quarterback.

"The guys that I've been involved with that didn't pan out [Ryan Leaf in San Diego], it was the intangibles for me," Devaney said. "I've come full circle."

Devaney contends that it's easy to evaluate the physical aspects of the position. He cites other skills -- work ethic, leadership, working with the media -- as some traits a successful NFL quarterback must have.

"If you can't handle all that stuff, you're going to have a hard time performing on the field," Devaney said.

Getting a handle on the intangible skills that a player possesses can be a tricky proposition.

"You just grind as much as you can, talk to as many people and try to get as accurate a picture as you can on the guy," Devaney said.

Despite his shoulder history, Bradford is widely considered the top quarterback in the draft.

"He’s a big kid, he’s accurate, he won a lot of football games," Cleveland general manager Tom Heckert Jr. said. "He’s a leader."

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is considered the second best quarterback in the draft, but his status was affected by the recent McNabb trade.

Buffalo and Cleveland, both teams with unsettled quarterback situations, may not opt to select Clausen in the first round.

"I'm hearing through a lot of different sources that [Buffalo] will not [take Clausen]," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "I scratched them off the list. I have them going with [Iowa tackle] Brian Bulaga and coming back in the second round with Tim Tebow."