Rams QB Bradford misses practice, iffy for Sunday at Dallas

ST. LOUIS -- Newly acquired Brandon Lloyd looked good in his first practice with the St. Louis Rams.

Mark Clayton's back, too.

Now they just need someone to get them the ball.

Quarterback Sam Bradford did not practice Wednesday while getting treatment for a high left ankle sprain, increasing the likelihood journeyman A.J. Feeley will get the call Sunday at Dallas. Bradford's injury routinely sidelines players for a month, but Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo had some hope he could play because the plant leg is not affected, although mobility would be compromised.

But he still was in a walking boot.

"I don't want to think, to be honest with you," Spagnuolo said after an indoor workout due to rainy, cold conditions. "I don't venture to take any guesses on high ankle sprains.

"I've seen them go all different ways, so I don't know."

Bradford said the ankle was improved from earlier in the week and thought the decision would be a matter of "pain tolerance." Bradford didn't think getting practice time was a must.

"Obviously, I have to be able to drop back," Bradford said. "I have to be able to have some mobility where I'm not just standing back there."

The 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, who was born in Oklahoma City and played for the Sooners in college, said he'd be trying his best to get ready "whether we were playing in Dallas or in Alaska."

"I've had this Dallas game circled for a while now knowing that it's about as close to home as I get," Bradford said. "It'd mean a lot for me to play down there, so hopefully I'll be ready."

Spagnuolo said the Rams wanted Bradford to keep his foot elevated, so the QB wasn't even on the field. Feeley was preparing to start, but said he wouldn't be surprised if Bradford tried to play.

"He's a tough kid and he wants to play and he wants to take this team on his back," Feeley said about Bradford, the top pick in the 2010 draft. "That's the way it should be."

Lloyd jokingly said it didn't matter who was behind center against the Cowboys. The Rams acquired him from Denver for a conditional draft pick Monday, and Spagnuolo said Lloyd made several catches in practice.

"I'm pretty used to switching around quarterbacks," Lloyd said, following up with a laugh. "It doesn't matter who the quarterback is."

The 34-year-old Feeley pretty much has been a career backup, with only 15 starts in 11 seasons. Bradford took every snap last year, and Feeley has played only once this year in mop-up duty in an opening loss to the Eagles. He made his first regular-season throws since 2007 and went 1 of 5 for 15 yards.

Feeley routinely gets very few snaps with the first team. Now he's getting them all, providing real work for a change as opposed to mental reps.

"My mindset doesn't change," Feeley said. "Maybe the sense of urgency does, and the fact that I'm here getting reps out here and the likelihood of my playing is probably a little stronger than it was."

Lloyd and Clayton, who was activated from the PUP list from a knee injury, hope to be on the field Sunday against the Cowboys.

Lloyd has 19 catches for 283 yards and no touchdowns so far, but he led the NFL with 1,448 yards receiving on 77 receptions with 11 touchdowns last year. Clayton was Bradford's go-to guy at the start of last season with 22 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns in four games before injuring his knee.