Source: Rams await Bradford workout

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While the St. Louis Rams are very likely to select Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the first pick in next month's NFL draft, a team source said they won't make a final decision until after the team orchestrates a private workout for him on April 19, just three days before the draft's first round.

Bradford went through his first public workout on Monday in front of the Rams and other NFL teams at Oklahoma's pro day in Norman.

The potential No. 1 NFL draft pick completed all but one of his five dozen passes during a workout Monday on his college campus in Oklahoma.

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AP Photo/Sue OgrockiSam Bradford missed just one pass during his first public workout since undergoing surgery to reconstruct the AC joint in his right shoulder.

Bradford went 13-for-13 during a warm-up session and then missed only one of 50 passes in the workout that followed. He completed a handful of passes 30 yards or longer, including a post pattern that went more than 50 yards.

"I thought I did very well today," Bradford said. "I showed a wide variety of throws. I didn't just come out and show the basic things, I showed some in the gun, on the move and different throws. I think I showed everyone that I can still make all the throws and my shoulder is just what it was before I got hurt."

Rams general manager Billy Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo were among the contingent sent by the Rams. Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren also watched.

"Really positive. I thought the whole workout was positive," Devaney said. "I think he answered a lot of questions for a lot of people today."

A team source said the Rams weren't looking to be "wowed" by Bradford, knowing this was his first full-blown throwing session since he underwent right shoulder surgery to reconstruct the AC joint he damaged during his junior season. The team has analyzed Bradford's college game video and team doctors are comfortable with his medical data, the source added.

Bradford said he had breakfast with Spagnuolo and the Rams' offensive coaching staff before his workout. Spagnuolo and Devaney also visited with Bradford earlier in the month in Gulf Breeze, Fla., where he was rehabbing and working out. Bradford returned to Norman last week to continue his preparation for Monday's session.

The Washington Redskins, who select fourth in the draft, also have scheduled a private workout with Bradford on April 15.

Bradford said every player dreams of being picked first in the draft, but he hasn't given it much thought. And he said it would be up to the Rams whether he'd sign a deal before draft day, should they decide to draft him at No. 1.

"I don't control that. I have no clue how it's going to play out," Bradford said. "If that's how it works, then that's how it works. If not, I'll be excited to hear my name called on draft day."

Bradford admitted being nervous before the throwing session, in part because it was an unusual situation to have one receiver running a pattern at a time with no defense.

"At the end of the day, it's still just a workout," Bradford said. "I'm not going to go to the NFL and throw routes on air to guys. I'm going to have to play against a very good defense week in and week out."

Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Chris Mortensen

NFL reporter

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• ESPN Senior NFL Analyst
• Joined ESPN in 1991
• Has covered every Super Bowl since 1979