Bradford's huge mi$take

Sam Bradford made an enormous mistake returning to Oklahoma for his junior season instead of going to the NFL. Now he’s compounding that blunder by announcing that he’s not coming back to Oklahoma for his senior year.

It’s all about timing, and Bradford’s couldn’t be worse. He was the hot thing last year, coming off an incredible Heisman season. He would have been a top-five pick, possibly even No. 1.

Now? He may not even be a first-round pick following two serious shoulder injuries. Jake Locker and Jimmy Claussen have blown by him. How many teams are going to invest a first-round pick in a quarterback?

I’m sure Bradford is sick about his injuries and now his attitude is surely that he just wants to get to the NFL as quickly as possible before he blows any more guaranteed money. It’s understandable, but it’s a mistake.

Assuming he’s a late first round or early second pick, which is where he’s projected now, he’ll get about $30 million less than he would if he’s a top five pick. It is realistic to think he could once again be a top pick for the 2011 Draft. It’s a risk worth taking.

What Bradford should do is take his time rehabbing his shoulder and then have a dominant senior year. The money will explode once again if he can do that, but he has to be patient.