The long-awaited contract talks between the Rams and rookie quarterback Sam Bradford will likely get under way this week (July 12-16).
Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, who will return from a brief vacation early this week, plans to get together with Bradford's agent, the Clayton-based Tom Condon.
Bradford won't be directly involved with the negotiations. "That's why I hired an agent," he told reporters in Oklahoma this week. "I don't want to deal with any of that stuff. That stuff's all on (Condon). I've done my part to get myself here. Now, it's his job to get me in camp."
Bradford, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2010 draft, is in position for a huge contract. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, chosen first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009, signed a six-year deal worth $72 million, with $41.75 million guaranteed.
Bradford will probably command between $45 million to $50 million in guaranteed dollars.
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Jim Hanifan will speak at the memorial service for the late Don Coryell on Monday in San Diego. Hanny was Coryell's offensive-line coach at San Diego State and in the NFL at St. Louis and San Diego. ... Speaking of Coryell, if you want a more comprehensive look at why the coach deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then read Tim Layden's piece in the new Sports Illustrated.
While vacationing in Las Vegas last weekend, Bradford attended a Kenny Chesney concert and was invited backstage to meet the country-music star. "I listen to him before every game," Bradford told the Daily Oklahoman. Bradford said it was one of the perks of being a pro athlete. "You can do things like that. If someone says, 'Hey, do you want to go backstage?', you can say, 'Yeah, I would love to.' In college if that happens, you've got to say, 'Oh, well, I would love to but I can't.' It's nice to be able to do things like that. But at the same time I understand that if I don't play well on the field, all of those things are going to go away."
Rams cornerback Ron Bartell is a newlywed. ... Frank Verducci, who has coached in the NFL at Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Dallas, has joined the Rams staff as a consultant. Verducci was the offensive line coach for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame last season. Frank's brother is Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci. ... Offensive tackle Brandon Joyce, who is getting a free-agent shot with the Rams this summer, is the son of Terry Joyce, who punted for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976-1977.
Entering the weekend, the Cardinals were eighth in the National League with a .264 batting average with runners in scoring position. The first-place Cincinnati Reds were No. 1 in the league with a .284 average with RISP. That 20-point gap makes a difference as the Reds and Cardinals each try to win as many close games as possible. ... Through Thursday, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was batting .175 since May 11; among MLB players with at least 100 at-bats since May 11 only Pittsburgh's Andy LaRoche had a lower (.167) batting average.
Top Cardinals pitching prospect Shelby Miller, 19, is rolling again at Class A Quad Cities after being shut down for two weeks to correct some mechanical flaws in his delivery. Miller had experienced some elbow discomfort when throwing curveballs, but is feeling good after refining his delivery. Miller is on the U.S. roster for the MLB Futures Game on Sunday in Anaheim.
When the Brose Baskets won the championship of Germany's highest professional basketball league, two St. Louisans were on opposite sides of the competition. Bredan Rooney (DeSmet) is a scout for Brose, which defeated the Deutsche Bank Skyliners, led by guard Jimmy McKinney (Vashon, Mizzou) in the best-of-five final. Rooney played for the DeSmet hoops team that defeated McKinney and Vashon to win the state championship in 1999.
The Blues still have to replace the 31 goals they're losing with the departure of Paul Kariya and the retirement of Keith Tkachuk, right? ... Blues GM Doug Armstrong didn't waste any time getting a generous but reasonable contract done with newly acquired goaltender Jaroslav Halak. We like Armstrong's aggressiveness. ... Congrats to Blues corporate-sponsor executive Matt Poling and his wife Maggie on the birth of their son, Luke Reed, on July 6.
St. Louisan Max Scherzer continues to thrive for the Detroit Tigers after a brief return to the minors to work on his mechanics. Since being recalled May 30, Scherzer is 5-2 with a 2.44 ERA and has 62 strikeouts in 52 innings. ... Houston-based businessman Jim Crane, a graduate of Lutheran North and later a star pitcher at Central Missouri State, is back in the running in the bidding for the MLB Texas Rangers. The baseball stadium at CMSU is named in Crane's honor.
St. Louisan Maggie Viefhaus (Eureka HS) recently completed an outstanding softball career at the University of Michigan. A third baseman, Maggie was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and earned second-team All-America honors for the No. 2 ranked Wolverines. Maggie's three older sisters all played softball at Southern Illinois. Maggie's father, Randy Viefhaus, was selected by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 1970 MLB draft and also spent time in the Cardinals' organization.
If (as expected) Devon Alexander retains his WBC and IBF 140-pound world titles by defeating challenger Andriy Kotelnik on Aug. 7 at Scottrade Center, indications are his next bout would be against Tim Bradley. Promoters and HBO Sports are targeting a Jan. 29 date; that's the night before the Super Bowl. Alexander vs. Bradley would be a great matchup.
When safety Oshiomogho Atogwe signed with the Rams, it was billed as a five-year contract. But Howard Balzer of the Globe-Democrat and KFNS reports that in all practicality it's a one-year deal worth $4.1 million because the contract contains no guaranteed money beyond 2010. And if the Rams decline to pay Atogwe an $8 million roster bonus in February 2011, he'll become an unrestricted free agent.
After 16 years as the director of athletics at Maryland, former St. Louis University AD Debbie Yow has gone home to her native state to become the AD at North Carolina State. N.C. State is dear to Yow; her late sister, Kay Yow, was the legendary women's basketball coach there. Under Debbie Yow's leadership Maryland won 20 national championships in six sports.
The Nice Section:
• Marine Corps Commandant James Conway will participate in the 6th annual Friends of Injured Marines Charity Golf Tournament on Aug. 29 at The Legends. Cost is $375 per golfer, $1,500 per foursome. Please support our injured veterans. For info, call Reggie Thorpe at 314-402-9631.
• The St. Louis Officials Association is sponsoring the 4th annual Bob Granda Memorial Blood Drive on Wed. July 21 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the St. Louis Police Officers Association Hall at 3710 Hampton Ave. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org (and enter sponsor code "Granda") or call Don Meyer at 314-471-7653.
