The St. Louis Rams just opened contract negotiations with Sam Bradford's agent last week, but team official Kevin Demoff said Tuesday that fans shouldn't be concerned about the ability to sign the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Demoff stated that he would like Bradford to report by the start of training camp July 28. However, a team source told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Friday that a deal with the rookie quarterback isn't expected to come soon.
Some have speculated that Bradford could receive up to $50 million in guaranteed money -- a significant bump from the $41.7 million that last year's No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Matthew Stafford, was given by the Detroit Lions.
Demoff, who's handling negotiations with agent Tom Condon, tried to put the task ahead in perspective.
"Nobody is being absurd," Demoff said. "Everything is within reason. But there are some points to iron out and some feelings we both have on the way this wants to go. Those aren't necessarily public discussions. The goal is to come to an end product that makes sense for both sides, and I think we'll do that.
"I think there have been so many quarterbacks that have been drafted No. 1 overall, that this is not a unique situation by any stretch of the imagination," Demoff added. "... You try to piece together what you like and some of the changes you'd like to make maybe in the language or different spots. But this isn't Mideast peace or putting a cap on an oil well. This is essentially trying to figure out the right number and trying to create a contract that lives for a long time. A lot changes in that time period, and you want a deal that both sides don't wake up after a couple years and say, for better or worse, 'We don't like this.'"
