Schefter stated, “I would like to record something here, on February 24th.  Two months from the draft.  And tell you who the number one pick is gonna be right now… When all is said and done, that the Rams’ number one pick on April 22nd, two months from now, will be Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.  I’m willing to take all bets on that one right now.”

He even continued that many people have told him there is no way the Rams will not select Sam Bradford. You can listen to all of Schefter’s comments here.

The move makes sense when you look at the big picture. While defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is looked at as the top prospect in this class, St. Louis has spent multiple first-round selections on their defensive line the past few years with guys like Adam Carriker and Chris Long.

There is also a financial angle to this selection. Would St. Louis want to tie up another record setting contract to a member of their defensive line or would they prefer to get a better bang for their buck and lock up the next star quarterback?

In a quarterback driven league, Bradford could be the guy to turn around the Rams misfortune. St. Louis has passed up the likes of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and Jets signal-caller Mark Sanchez the past two years and they cannot pass up another opportunity to snag up a potential franchise QB.

Of course, there are injury concerns surrounding Bradford and the fact that we have not seen him drop back and make big time throws when he was not protected by one of the nation’s best offensive lines. Still it appears that Bradford’s shoulder will clear medical evaluations and the Oklahoma product has accuracy that scouts drool over. After he gets to perform at his Pro Day, Bradford will likely be the talk of the town.

Schefter seems very confident in his statements and when you take a closer look at St. Louis’ needs the move makes sense. No matter what the talking heads on television tell you, the No. 1 overall pick will come down to Bradford and Suh. With the way that Schefter is going on record and the amount of information his sources are giving him, I would bet the house on Bradford being the top pick in April.

With those trade talks heating up, a new team has thrown their first-rounder on the trading block. The Detroit Lions are said to be in discussions to move their pick — second overall.

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com said today that the Lions are “shopping the second-overall pick, already in contact with several other teams.”

This could be a good move for the Lions who are believed to be interested in an offensive tackle like Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung to become their franchise left tackle and protect last year’s first-overall pick Matthew Stafford for many years to com. Okung would be considered a reach at No. 2, but if they move out of that slot with a team like the Bills, Redskins or Seahawks — who could look at one of the top two QB’s — Detroit would be in better position to get value with their selection of Okung.

Be sure to stay tuned to NFLMocks.com for the latest draft rumors.

Chris Steuber of Scout.com said today that the Buccaneers are one of many teams who are convinced that Suh is a can’t miss prospect and their interest in him could lead the team to make a trade up in the draft to land the top prospect.

St. Louis has been rumored to be looking into the possibility of acquiring either Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles and their determination to grab a future quarterback could make them look at trade possibilities with the Bucs, because St. Louis is also interested in Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Johnson.

According to Steuber:

n addition to finding a franchise quarterback, the Rams are interested in trading out of the top spot in this year’s draft, moving down a few spots and acquiring additional draft picks and players. I’ve been told that the Rams and Buccaneers have had exploratory discussions on a deal, which would involve the team’s first round selections (No. 1 and 3), possibly one of the Buccaneers second round picks (they have two picks in the second round: No. 35 and 42) or their third round pick (No. 67). Again, these discussions have been exploratory, as the Rams continue to investigate all of their options, but the deal involving the Rams and Bucs first round picks and Tampa Bay’s third round pick, not one of their second-round picks, is where it gets interesting.

A source close to the situation in St. Louis told me that if a deal with the Eagles can’t be consummated prior to the draft, they may take the Bucs third round pick over one of their second round picks, because they’re “very high” on third-year quarterback Josh Johnson, who they would insist being in a potential trade with Tampa Bay. Rams officials compare Johnson favorably to Vick athletically, but they feel that he has a greater upside as a passer.

Steuber’s source also said that if the top two defensive tackle prospects — Suh and Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy — are off the board that Tampa Bay would look at South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul over safety Eric Berry of Tennessee.

While Steuber’s report is very interesting and would be a huge trade in the upcoming draft, the folks at Pewter Report believe Tampa Bay will not trade up to the No. 1 pick because they do not want to take on the contract of a No. 1 pick.

I am sure this is just the beginning of the trade rumors that we will hear in the months leading up to April’s draft, but this report has the possibility to really shake things up.

Ndamukong Suh is looked at as one of the top two prospects in this year’s draft class. The defensive tackle out of Nebraska was widely believed to be the consensus number one pick in April’s draft, so it was a surprise when the report of Sam Bradford possibly topping the Rams draft board came out.

Now there are new reports coming out as to who the Rams could be favoring.

According to Len Pasquarelli of ESPN, some of the St. Louis Rams scouts are “becoming increasingly convinced that that Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is the best player available.” Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy comes in at second on the list.

A few teams are hesitant to shell out the money a top pick receives, unless it is at one of the premier positions. That is what fuels reports of St. Louis looking at Bradford. Quarterbacks are worthy of the top dollar, but in this draft it could be a mistake to reach for one of the top QBs.

St. Louis needs help everywhere on their roster — or else they wouldn’t have had the number one pick in the draft. They would be wise to put position aside and just draft the best player available, which in this case is Suh. Suh would bring a dominant presence to the defensive line and create a pass rush up the middle that the Rams have lacked.

According to 101 ESPN:

As the new defensive coordinator in Washington, Jim Haslett has let it be known that he believes Little is still good for 10+ sacks a season–provided he stays healthy and is used appropriately.

The situation is similiar with the Rams–who have made it clear to Little they would like him back if intends to play in 2010.

Little missed three games due to injury last year, but still led the Rams with 6.5 sacks. It’s that ability that should keep him effective on pass rush downs.

With 87.5 career sacks, the idea of 100 sacks is an achievable goal–but Little has shared that he wouldn’t return to chase after any statistical goals, playing the game was about winning and having fun.

So, the money would be waiting for Little if he decides to return. The Super Bowl XXXIV champion is 35-years-old and coming off of a season in which he tallied 6.5 sacks, one interception and a touchdown in 13 games.

“The Raiders have been interested in this for a long time,” said Deena McClain, executive director of the authority. “This is a more organized look to see what the options are.”

An interesting twist to the proposal is that the Oakland Raiders could end up sharing a stadium with the San Francisco 49ers. “The idea of the Raiders and the 49ers sharing a stadium has obviously been mentioned before,” McClain said.

Per the report:

More than a year ago, the NFL asked the teams to look into the possibility of sharing a stadium. San Francisco 49ers President Jed York also is on record several times stating Oakland would be an option, especially if the 49ers are unable to successfully build their stadium in Santa Clara.

Just this week the Santa Clara City Council approved a June 8 ballot measure for voters to vote on a new stadium for the 49ers.

The idea of a shared stadium would not be revolutionary in the NFL. The New York Giants and Jets shared a stadium for several decades and are building a new stadium together in New Jersey that will be open for the 2010 season.

Another possibility for the 49ers new stadium would be Santa Clara, however, reports indicate that stadium would also have to include sharing with the Oakland Raiders. If the two share a stadium in Oakland, the NFL would want the franchises to share revenue as well.

Oakland seems to be very eager to move forward with a new stadium.

“The site on which we currently play is centrally located, with magnificent public transit alternatives, on a major freeway and presents an exciting location on which a new stadium can serve as the hub of a larger, urban redevelopment project,” said Amy Trask, Raiders chief executive. “We have been communicating regularly with city, county and Joint Powers Authority representatives about our desire for a new, world-class stadium and the manner in which such a stadium can serve as a catalyst for regional economic growth.”

It has been widely speculated that Nebraska defensive standout, Ndamukong Suh, would become the first player taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. Not so fast.

The latest reports are saying the St. Louis Rams are waiting to complete a full medical evaluation on Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford missed most of this season with a shoulder injury and if he clears all the tests without complications, the Rams will take a long look at the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Tom Kowalski of MLive.com has said that he spoke to two “well-informed folks” while he was in Miami for the Super Bowl and they indicated that Bradford would top the Rams draft board if his shoulder checks out okay.

St. Louis is looking for a long-term answer at the quarterback position and Bradford could be their answer. Marc Bulger is currently the teams starter and his skills have visibly decline throughout the last few injury filled years of his career.

The NFC West is very weak at quarterback — especially after the retirement of Cardinals QB Kurt Warner. In a quarterback driven league, the thinking around the Rams organization is that Bradford could be the franchise signal-caller that will take the team to the next level.

It would be shocking to see Ndamukong Suh slide down to the number two spot or lower, but Detroit Lions fans would be rejoicing.

There has been talk around league circles that Bush will be asked to restructure his deal and if he declines the team will explore other options.

One option would be to move Bush, who would surely have a market. While he is not a number one running back, Bush brings a home-run threat to special teams and he can provide a spark to the offense. Many offensive coordinators around the league would love to have a weapon like the former Heisman Trophy winner.

The Seattle Seahawks have been mentioned as a team that could be looking to add Bush to the offense. With his college coach Pete Carroll running the show in Seattle, the move makes sense. The Seahawks have also been exploring the running back position in the upcoming draft — Clemson speedster C.J. Spiller has been mentioned often.

Another possibility for Bush is the San Francisco 49ers. Bush could return to his home state and the 49ers have been looking for a solid back-up to current starter Frank Gore.

Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News has also pointed to Bush as a player of interest for the Detroit Lions this offseason. Kevin Smith, the team’s starting tailback, tallied 747 yards through 13 games this season before suffering an injury.

Smith has undergone surgery this offseason and there is concern that he will be unavailable for the start of the 2010 season. It is widely expected that he will be placed on the PUP list throughout training camp, and that will leave the Lions without a serious threat at the position.

So while Bush’s future with New Orleans is uncertain there is a market for him out there and with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell on the roster, the Saints do not need to hang on to Bush. If he refuses to restructure his deal, the franchise can ship the former No. 2 pick off any of the interested teams.

Miami needs a tough, physical receiver who will be willing to go over the middle and make a tough catch. They already have vertical threats.

One player who could fill the void on the Dolphins roster is Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall. However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald indicates that the Dolphins have not shown interest in Marshall and he does not believe they will pursue him.

Instead, the Dolphins target could be current Arizona Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin has been trying to get a new contract for a few years now and he has even requested a trade in the past. This year the 2003 Rookie of the Year has changed his tune.

“I’m going to let it play out,” Boldin has previously told the Miami Herald.

“I can’t do anything one way or the other,” he continued. “If I go to them and request a trade, it don’t matter. I’m under contract for another year. So no matter what I say or do, that won’t change anything. I’m under contract for another year. So whatever happens, it depends on what the Cardinals want to do. I’m not worried about it at all.”

Barry Jackson says that the Dolphins could offer a third-round pick for Boldin.The offer may seem low, but it will be more than enough to open negotiations.

Kurt Warner even acknowledged the hole he was leaving on the Cardinals roster and he mentioned that some in the locker room tried to convince him to return.

“I think that was one of the hardest parts of the decision — knowing an organization, a coaching staff, teammates, how they’ve counted on you, what a big part of the puzzle you are,” Warner said. “There’s no question that’s the hardest part for me.”

Leinart has had few opportunities to prove himself, but when he has had the chance he hasn’t made the best of those opportunities. In 2006, the former USC standout started his sophomore season. Five games into that year, head coach Dennis Green benched Leinart in favor of the veteran Warner.

The following season Ken Whisenhunt was hired as head coach. Leinart was once again named starter and it was five games into 2007 that Leinart suffered a broken collarbone. Warner has not let go of the job since then.

Leinart has been inconsistent when he did get his chances and many wonder if he has the leadership ability to take a franchise to that next level. Whatever the “it factor” is, Leinart seems to be lacking it.

In his four year career, Leinart has only completed 57 percent of his passes with a passer rating just over 70. He has 14 touchdown passes — 11 in his rookie year — compared to 20 interceptions. Since his rookie season, Leinart has only thrown 3 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. This causes a lot of concern for those within the Cardinals franchise and their fan base.

Ken Whisenhunt has said Leinart has the chance to become the teams starter next season, for now.

“We’ve got plenty of time to sort things out,” Whisenhunt said. “Matt’s not a rookie. He’s been in this offense for three years. He’s worked everyday with a guy that was playing at a high a level as anybody in the game and understands a lot more now about what he has to do to prepare in this offense.”

Whisenhunt was not convincing, nor did he rule out pursuing other options at the quarterback position. ProFootballTalk.com picked up on this as well.

Whisenhunt leaves the door open for Arizona to pursue reinforcements at the position.  The team is likely to bring in competition, though in what form remains to be seen.  They could pursue a mid-round draft pick like Cincinnati’s Tony Pike or a trade for a veteran like Sage Rosenfels or Marc Bulger.  The free agent class is uninspiring, headlined by Chad Pennington, A.J. Feeley, Daunte Culpepper, Rex Grossman, and Charlie Batch.

Leinart may lose one weapon in Anquan Boldin this offseason, but he will still have one of the best receivers in the game, Larry Fitzgerald, as well as a much improved rushing attack. The puzzles are set for Leinart to have one last shot at being the man in Arizona and it is up to him to finally show the leadership and ability to make it happen.

It would not be shocking to see Arizona target a quarterback in the middle rounds of the 2010 draft or in free agency. They need to have a back up plan in place incase the Leinart experiment falls down in flames.