After a report earlier in the day revealed St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is preparing for the upcoming NFL season on a bum ankle, another report suggests Bradford is working with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to reduce the hits the QB has to endure.
The remedy isn't too complicated for Bradford. He simply needs to get rid of the ball quicker. While he is big enough to take a pounding, the hits certainly wore him down last year and if his ankle continues to be a problem, opposing teams will know where to find him in the pocket.
So while it may take guts to stand in the pocket and deliver a strike just before taking a hit, Schottenheimer is pressing his quarterback to speed up his reads and delivery to avoid the extra contact. That's forced Bradford to adjust how he evaluates his performance.
"Two days ago in camp, I thought I had a really good practice. I'm not sure the ball hit the ground once. And we got in the film room, and he was all over me about getting the ball out of my hands even quicker, to eliminate hits. He's made it a big point. It's part of my job to help the protection and get the ball out of my hands and make sure that, even if it's not a sack, I'm eliminating the unnecessary hits."
Bradford will have another chance to work on his pocket presence and deliver on Saturday night when the Rams host the Kansas City Chiefs.
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