Former OU quarterback Sam Bradford was selected No. 1 overall by the St. Louis Rams in last month’s NFL Draft, and since then there has been some speculation on exactly what the 2010 NFL season would hold for the Heisman Trophy winner.

Making Bradford the top pick was a no-brainer for the Rams. They have been trying to rebuild for the past couple seasons to try to reclaim the title of “Greatest Show on Turf,” and one of the biggest missing pieces was a new, younger quarterback.

Former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger tried to fill the void former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner left when the team released him in 2004, but the experiment didn’t work.

With Bulger at quarterback, the Rams went from being a playoff team to the cellar of the NFC West, and eventually the NFL, and Bulger suffered multiple injuries that severely impacted his on-field performances.

The Rams were feeling pressure to make a change at quarterback, and they had their opportunity to make the move with Bradford leaving college to pursue his career in the pros.

So St. Louis released Bulger April 5, leaving little doubt Bradford would be taken first overall.

Now that Bradford is a Ram, there are some questions that need to be answered so he doesn’t have the same fate as former first round quarterback Ryan Leaf.

First, will his shoulder hold up after two injuries during the 2009 season?

It is hard to tell exactly how strong his shoulder is at this point since the only drills anyone has seen Bradford perform have been non-contact drills. His shoulder in terms of arm strength looks to be fine, and his shoulder has healed to the point where it’s stronger than before the first injury suffered Sept. 5, Bradford said.

Still, there are questions about whether his shoulder can sustain a hit from players who are much bigger than the ones who injured him.

Also, some analysts think he could have the same bad luck as former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr by being drafted by a team with a bad offensive line.

The Rams allowed 44 sacks in 2009 and have not given up less than 40 sacks in each of the past 10 seasons – most of those seasons St. Louis had the services of Pro Bowl offensive lineman Orlando Pace.

Bradford is not going into the best offensive line situation, and the strength of his shoulder is still in doubt, but those things don’t exactly mean he’ll be a bust.

Secondly, when will the Rams start Bradford?

Bradford impressed coaches during the team’s first minicamp of 2010, but he hasn’t been named the No. 1 quarterback on St. Louis’ depth chart. The Rams have three other quarterbacks on their roster, and quarterback A.J. Feeley has the most NFL experience out of the group.

There have been some reports that if Bradford doesn’t start the first game of the season, then the Rams may go a similar route to the one the Tennessee Titans took with quarterback Vince Young during his 2006 season, when they waited a few games before they started him.

This could work for Bradford, who will need some time to learn the playbook and adjust to defensive schemes in the NFL, but he is a smart enough player that it won’t take too long before he has all of that down.

Plus, he can’t get the full learning experience without playing in a regular season game, so if he doesn’t start the first game, then the Rams would be smart to not wait too long before they bring him into a game.

Bradford has the makeup and a situation where he could succeed within the first few years even if he struggles during his rookie season.

Remember, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning wasn’t that amazing of a quarterback during his rookie season even though he showed signs of potential.

Give Bradford some time before you judge him as a good pro player or a bust, but all signs point to him avoiding being remembered as only a good college quarterback.