NFL

ESPN’s Adam Schefter told a St. Louis radio station he is “willing to take all bets” on his prediction that the St. Louis Rams will select Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick. Schefter admits that he has not spoken to the Rams about the issue, but he insists he doesn’t need to because he’s “heard enough other things” from people around the league that he considers it a lock.

Schefter also “promises” that Bradford is a top-5 player in this draft. The Rams are also reluctant to pay the going rate at No. 1 for a defensive player. If Schefter is correct, the Lions are sitting pretty at No. 2 with their choice of Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Arizona: The Cardinals have signed head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Rod Graves to contract extensions through 2013. Per FoxSports’ Jay Glazer, Whiz will receive close to $30M for four years plus a 2014 team option, thus making him one of the five highest paid coaches in the league.

The extensions were well earned, as the duo has experienced unprecedented success in Arizona Cardinals. The Cards have won back-to-back NFC West titles while directing the franchise to its first Super Bowl in 2008-09. Graves will be in the spotlight this offseason, with many key players in flux.

Miami: Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland confirmed Thursday that Chad Henne is the team’s starting QB “now and for the future.” Coach Tony Sparano oddly didn’t commit to Henne at his season-ending presser, so Ireland did it for him. Henne will benefit from a full offseason of practice reps. Miami Dolphins seems to be leaning toward using its high picks and big free agent money on defense at the moment.

Tampa Bay: Bucs coach Raheem Morris indicated Thursday that the team is “moving on” from free agent Antonio Bryant. This is no shocker. “Antonio missed a significant amount of time last year,” Morris said. “Right now we’re going in a young direction. We’re going to choose to move on.” The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are concerned about the long-term health of Bryant’s knee, and they grew tired of his constant complaining last season. Character issues aside, Bryant is the best talent available at his position in free agency.

New Orleans: NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi reports that the Saints are “not even contemplating” releasing Reggie Bush, despite an impending $8M salary. Lombardi indicated that asking Bush to take a pay cut isn’t even in New Orleans’ immediate plans. Bush, still just 25, saw career lows in carries and catches last season, but somehow found a way to score eight all-purpose touchdowns. He’ll return as a change-of-pace back/punt returner in 2010.

Tennessee: According to the Nashville City Paper, the Titans are expected to place a restricted tender on free agent Bo Scaife, even at the cost of $4.9 million. Since Scaife was given the franchise tender last season at $4.46M, the Titans have to pay at least 110 percent of that salary this season. A pedestrian pass-catcher with little in the way of playmaking ability, Scaife isn’t worth the price tag. If the Titans do keep him, it’s an admission that Jared Cook isn’t ready for a major role.