Luck is the odd- on favorite to go number one....to the St. Louis Rams

With the Vikings' loss today, there are only two horses left in the race to acquire Stanford QB Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams. Since the Colts hold the ultimate tiebreaker, the lower win-loss percentage by opponents this season, either a Rams win, or an Indi loss clinches it for the Colts.

However, the Rams will be very lucky to even be in the game versus the Niners next week. Meanwhile, the Colts have won two weeks in a row, and play the Jaguars, who are simply bad, next week.

If I am laying odds, it appears the Rams will win the rights to Luck, which will make an interesing call for St. Louis. Do they stick with Bradford, who has been shaky at best in his pro career, or go with maybe the highest graded QB's to enter the NFL since John Elway? To me, the call is easy: Draft Luck, and move Bradford elsewhere. And, I think the franchise would start over with Luck.

As Niners' fans, it would be fun to match up with Luck twice a year, but I'd rather see him far away in another conference.

The impossible seems almost probable right now. Is anyone in Indi thinking correctly?

Colts will tank it...They already knew when they had 3 games to go and they were winless, that can "try and win" 2 out of 3 and still get Luck. Now that they have won 2, that's it. Andrew Luck is a Colt.

Easier said than done with moving Bradford. If the Rams don't want that hefty cap figure, who says that another team wants it? You could have that scenario then where you have 2 high priced young Qbs on the same team.

Colts will lose the last game, and get the #1 pick. The question is, will they draft Luck or trade the pick to get a lot of pieces to put around Manning? Manning is due a 27 million dollar roster bonus is March, before the start of the league year - so can't trade Manning before that's due. So they will either have to cut him or keep him.

Originally posted by Schulzy:

Easier said than done with moving Bradford. If the Rams don't want that hefty cap figure, who says that another team wants it? You could have that scenario then where you have 2 high priced young Qbs on the same team.

Agreed. Bradford wont be easy to offload, with that contract + injury history. They would be better off trading the pick and try to fix what's really wrong with their team.

Originally posted by Schulzy:
Easier said than done with moving Bradford. If the Rams don't want that hefty cap figure, who says that another team wants it? You could have that scenario then where you have 2 high priced young Qbs on the same team.

Yea moving Bradford is nearly impossible now. He's the last $50 million #1 pick and unless they pull off a "re-sign and trade" it won't happen. Teams would rather trade into the top 5 for RG3 then deal with that massive contract and the compensation it would command if it wasn't restructured. Not too mention Tannehill, Weeden and Foles would be much better options then Bradford at this point.

Your point reminds me of something I thought about during the beginning of NBA free agency. I bet NFL owners push hard for something similar to the "amnesty clause" from the NBA. Imagine if the Rams could use that tag on Bradford and then draft Luck, they'd still have to pay Bradford a certain amount of money but his cap number would be removed from the books and they'd be able to use the money elsewhere.

Originally posted by sfout:
Yea moving Bradford is nearly impossible now. He's the last $50 million #1 pick and unless they pull off a "re-sign and trade" it won't happen. Teams would rather trade into the top 5 for RG3 then deal with that massive contract and the compensation it would command if it wasn't restructured. Not too mention Tannehill, Weeden and Foles would be much better options then Bradford at this point.

Your point reminds me of something I thought about during the beginning of NBA free agency. I bet NFL owners push hard for something similar to the "amnesty clause" from the NBA. Imagine if the Rams could use that tag on Bradford and then draft Luck, they'd still have to pay Bradford a certain amount of money but his cap number would be removed from the books and they'd be able to use the money elsewhere.

I think that because the NFL is a league of non-guaranteed contracts, and that the NBA is, it kind of makes that unnecessary to a point.

Originally posted by sfout:
Yea moving Bradford is nearly impossible now. He's the last $50 million #1 pick and unless they pull off a "re-sign and trade" it won't happen. Teams would rather trade into the top 5 for RG3 then deal with that massive contract and the compensation it would command if it wasn't restructured. Not too mention Tannehill, Weeden and Foles would be much better options then Bradford at this point.

Your point reminds me of something I thought about during the beginning of NBA free agency. I bet NFL owners push hard for something similar to the "amnesty clause" from the NBA. Imagine if the Rams could use that tag on Bradford and then draft Luck, they'd still have to pay Bradford a certain amount of money but his cap number would be removed from the books and they'd be able to use the money elsewhere.

The cba was already finalized and such a clause would never fit in the NFL, with franchise tags and the like.

The Rams still need help to get Luck... a Colts loss. If the Falcons beat the Saints on MNF then we could give Kaepernick and Anthony Dixon the start so we are guaranteed a healthy Alex and Gore for the postseason. Then the Rams may have a chance.

I am hoping the Colts lose and select Luck.

Do not want the Rams to pick Luck, or to get rich by trading the pick.

But, I do think the MD is correct on this call.

If the No 1 pick does get offered, which team trades up for it and what do you think they have to pay?

Originally posted by buck:
I am hoping the Colts lose and select Luck.

Do not want the Rams to pick Luck, or to get rich by trading the pick.

But, I do think the MD is correct on this call.

agree

guys reguardless of them picking at 1 or 2, the 2nd pick will be nearly as valuable as the 1st with RG3 avaliable there. Rams are gonna get rich with picks either way. Question is who steps up for that #2 pick? Cant/Wont be Seattle, rams would never give them the right to draft RG3, I could see the Dolphins, Seachickens, Browns,Redskins, all in to move up to the #2 spot for RG3. I just cant see the Rams giving up on Bradford,this season hasnt been his fault. Im sure their coach and OC will be gone. They just need to build their offense around him and their defense around chris long.

Both the Colts and Rams are playing to win this weekend. Both coaches need the win to possibly keep their job.

The Colts don't have the # 1 pick locked up if both teams lose, it depends on how other teams final record turn out in which strength of schedule could tilt in the Rams favor

Originally posted by OtisDriftwood:
guys reguardless of them picking at 1 or 2, the 2nd pick will be nearly as valuable as the 1st with RG3 avaliable there. Rams are gonna get rich with picks either way. Question is who steps up for that #2 pick? Cant/Wont be Seattle, rams would never give them the right to draft RG3, I could see the Dolphins, Seachickens, Browns,Redskins, all in to move up to the #2 spot for RG3. I just cant see the Rams giving up on Bradford,this season hasnt been his fault. Im sure their coach and OC will be gone. They just need to build their offense around him and their defense around chris long.

Has RG3 declared for the draft?