Should Sam Bradford get a commission for the Cleveland Browns' hire of Pat Shurmur?
What is former OU quarterback Sam Bradford’s finder’s fee or commission for helping offensive coordinators get head coaching jobs? First, it was Kevin Wilson at Indiana and now Pat Shurmur with the Cleveland Browns.
Shurmur deserves credit for Bradford’s rapid development, which made him a cinch for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and rallied the Rams to within a win of the NFC Playoffs. That the Shurmur-Bradford ticket accomplished that with a receiving corps only slightly more accomplished than what Sam threw to as Putnam City North senior is all the more impressive. But was anyone offering Shurmur jobs after last season for his tutelage of Marc Bulger (70.7 quarterback rating) and Kyle Boller (61.2)?
Now, in a piece of Red River irony, Browns president Mike Holmgren has tasked Shurmur with doing the same thing for former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy that he did for Bradford. McCoy had some impressive stretches as a rookie. And if Shurmur turns him into a budding star it may be safe to declare him an offensive genius — though it might be wise for him to burn the game film of the regular-season finale at Seattle.
So whose career will Sam boost next? The names of two NFL head coaches deposed during the season — Josh McDaniels and Brad Childress — are among the first to surface. And if Sam can put them back on head-coaching tracks after the Denver and Minnesota flame-outs, Slinging Sam really is a miracle worker.
Next Story