So, the Rams took Sam Bradford with the top pick in the draft.

And, this morning, I renewed my season tickets.

For me, Bradford provides hope. I look at abysmal teams that took quarterbacks number one overall. The Steelers in 1970. Terry Bradshaw went on to lead the club to four Super Bowl titles. The Broncos traded for top pick John Elway in 1983, and he led them to five Super Bowls, including two championships. Troy Aikman to the Cowboys in ’89 (three titles), Drew Bledsoe to the Patriots in ’93 (one Super Bowl appearance), and Peyton and Eli Manning (one title each) all delivered on a big time level as top picks

Sure, there have been failures and unfortunate occurrences. Tim Couch and David Carr both went to expansion teams, which is a tough way to start. Jim Plunkett won a pair of Super Bowls after leaving New England. Steve Bartkowski,Vinny Testaverde, Michael Vick and Carson Palmer all lifted their franchises to higher levels, although they missed going to the Super Bowl.

I’m looking at this as glass half full. A great quarterback gives his team a chance to compete every single week. And I think Bradford can be great. To me, the Rams made a great choice.