Sam Bradford agreed to a six-year, $78 million contract with the St. Louis Rams on Friday night, with $50 million in guaranteed money. The guaranteed money is the highest ever in the NFL. Sources told ESPN that the deal can be worth as much as $86 million.

The Rams and representatives for rookie quarterback Sam Bradford are still working on a contract. St. Louis will hold their first full-squad practice on Saturday morning and the two sides worked into the night on Thursday. Kevin Demoff, the Rams' executive vice president of football operations, said early Thursday evening that talks "are progressing." He added, "I'm still optimistic."

The Rams and the agent for rookie quarterback Sam Bradford are discussing a potential contract daily. St. Louis drafted Bradford with the first overall pick in April. Although time is growing short before the start of camp, the Rams remain confident they will get a deal done with Bradford by the end of the week.

The Rams were believed to have serious interest in free-agent wide receiver Terrell Owens over the weekend. However, they decided against signing Owens on Monday, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The Rams have intensified discussions with free-agent wide receiver Terrell Owens, according to sources. St. Louis has asked Owens, through agent Drew Rosenhaus, if he would accept a serious contract proposal from the team. Rosenhaus told the team Owens would definitely consider it, sources said. The Rams could make a formal offer to Owens as soon as Monday.

The Rams are confident in their negotiations with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. "I don't think there's any reason to be nervous," Kevin Demoff, the Rams' chief operating officer, told WXOS-FM in St. Louis on Tuesday. "These deals are complex. They take twists and turns up until the end, but it's a deadline league." Demoff stated that he would like Bradford to report by the start of training camp July 28. Some have speculated that Bradford could receive up to $50 million in guaranteed money.

Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy is watching with interest as Sam Bradford negotiates his first contract with the Rams. McCoy wants to get into training camp on time in two weeks. He was selected two picks after Bradford in the draft and he doesn't think his contract talks with the Buccaneers will heat up until Bradford's deal is done.

The Rams and representatives for Sam Bradford opened up negotiations on Friday as they attempt to get him under contract prior to training camp. A league source said the Rams and Bradford's reps are expected to lay the groundwork for what will be the richest contract in NFL history. The guaranteed money in the deal is expected to be between $45 million and $50 million.

The Rams and quarterback Sam Bradford's representatives are scheduled to meet Friday in St. Louis, according to a league source. It is thought to be their first face-to-face meeting since the Rams selected Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick. Bradford isn't expected to miss much, if any, time.

Contract talks between the Rams and first-overall pick Sam Bradford are expected to begin this week. Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, who will return from a brief vacation early next week, plans to get together with Bradford's agent, the Clayton-based Tom Condon. Bradford won't be directly involved with the negotiations. "That's why I hired an agent," he told reporters. "I don't want to deal with any of that stuff. That stuff's all on (Condon). I've done my part to get myself here. Now, it's his job to get me in camp."