St. Louis general manager Les Snead said on Feb. 18 at the NFL Combine that "deleting" Sam Bradford from the roster was not the solution. Less than a month later, the Rams dealt the quarterback to the Eagles in exchange for fellow signal-caller Nick Foles.
So what changed? They were able to add a proven quarterback.
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"When we said deleting Sam Bradford wasn't the solution, that was true. There was no trade in place," Snead said Friday at Rams Park during a press conference to introduce Foles to the St. Louis media. "In anything in life, things change. The key point is deleting a good quarterback from your team is not right and I don't blame teams for wanting Sam. He's got good years left. But we were able to add Nick Foles to our roster. That's what changed."
The Rams did not want to get rid of Bradford, but the addition of Foles made it the right fit.
"He's a guy who has a lot of physical skills to play in this league," Snead said of Foles. "He's won games with a good organization and a good team. He won games in a good division and got them to the playoffs."
Jeff Fisher was also on record at the Combine saying the Rams would move forward with Bradford at quarterback. While he still holds Bradford in high regard, the Rams coach said on Friday it was "a special day for the Rams" with Foles now on the roster.
Snead, when asked about possible Bradford trades last month, said there weren't any discussions. But the rumor initiated talks.
"I'd get off the elevator and someone would pull me aside to ask if we can talk," Snead explained Friday. "When news like that breaks, teams started dabbling. About a week after the Combine, teams started checking in."
Foles said he was pumped for a new start with the Rams. He missed the last half of 2014 with a broken collarbone, so it’s not like the Rams are getting Brett Favre to replace the oft-injured Bradford, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
"I have nothing but great things to say about Philadelphia," Foles said. "When I got off the phone with Coach Fisher, I felt very fortunate. I feel at home and I'm thankful for the opportunity to be here. I'm excited to get to work."
Foles also had a shoulder injury last year, but said both his shoulder and collarbone are fully healed, and that he is "180 percent."
The press conference was brief and began with the Rams trotting out another Nick. The team announced it had signed former Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley.