Michael Robinson has good things to say about the Rams…just not their Quarterback. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
When I was watching First Take yesterday, I saw Michael Robinson as a guest. If that name doesn’t jump off the page at you, don’t worry I had no idea who he was either. He used to be the fullback of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. He is now a free agent due to the expiring of his contract.
He was on air discussing his former team, the NFC West, and looking for a job. When asked who was going to win the very competitive NFC West, he chose his former team, the Seahawks. He later added that the team that everyone should look out for is the St. Louis Rams. Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, hosts on First Take, were left dazed and confused. Smith even shouted the Rams not the 49ers. He said explain yourself. Robinson prefaced his statement by saying if Sam Bradford can get himself together, they will be successful. He said that the front 7 of the Rams is scary with Long and Quinn anchoring the D-Line. He added on that they do have weapons on offense as well. He was extremely impressed with Rams WR Tavon Austin. He said that those are just a few reasons of why they are my surprise team.
After he was done with his comments, Stephen A. Smith asked Robinson, “What do NFL players and teams going against St. Louis think about Sam Bradford?” He kind of delayed his response with a chuckle and said, “I am going to give it to you straight. I think that he is a little soft…We can send the dogs after him and he is going to throw the ball to us.”(link to video at end of article)
I am not going to sugarcoat this at all. I would have to agree with Robinson statement about Bradford being soft. He does look soft. I am however not going to blame Bradford’s softness on his body or a look like Robinson points out in the video. I am going to blame that Bradford is shell shocked. Bradford has been sacked 120 times while only playing in 49 games in his career. So, of course he is getting a little soft, and he is shell shocked to stay in the pocket and throw the football.
I agree that Bradford does need to grow tougher in the sense of gaining confidence. The Rams have addressed their O-Line needs getting Jake Long last year in free agency and then also drafting Greg Robinson with the number 2 overall pick in the draft. The Rams need to have a strong O-Line to give Bradford time to produce on the field. With these additions, Bradford can begin to grow his confidence to hang in the pocket and throw great passes.
I agree with most critics that this year is a make it or break it year with Bradford, but lets not forget what Bradford has done in his career so far. He took a 1-15 team to a 7-9 team while playing for the division in the last regular game of the season. He also won Rookie of the Year during that season. Now, I will say that this was back when the NFC West was called the NFC Worst, but the awards cannot be taken away from him. Lets not forget as well that Sam Bradford has been through one head coach switch and three offensive coordinators changes causing him to learn three different coaches’ playbooks in the first four seasons of his career. It is extremely difficult for a lot of quarterbacks to master just one playbook but can you imagine learning three different ones in the first four seasons of your career.
Let me wrap this up by saying that I am excited to see what Bradford can achieve this year. I am excited to see that the Rams are getting some much-deserved attention and respect as being a serious threat in the NFL. I think the D-Line will be great and lead the NFL with the most combined sacks. Robinson’s comments that he made on national television just fuel the fire for the rivalry between the Rams and Seahawks. I hope that Sam Bradford and the Rams use these comments as motivation to help drive their team to success.
Link to video: Michael Robinson talks about the Rams on First Take
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