Sam Bradford

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford passes in the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(Tony Dejak)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills aren't pulling any punches when it comes to finding a quarterback this offseason.

After interviewing nearly every quarterback at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, the Bills are pursuing a trade for St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News refuted the report. Bradford, who has a salary of $13 million for 2015, was reportedly given permission to seek a trade, though Rams coach Jeff Fisher denied as much at the NFL Scouting Combine last week.

"I was surprised to hear that," Fisher said. "That's inaccurate. No, I mean. We talked about what our plans are for him."

Fisher also discussed a potential "Plan B" for the Rams at quarterback and added that it's "extremely important" that they have a strong backup in place given Bradford's injury history.

Buffalo's interest in Bradford shouldn't come as a surprise. The Bills have an obvious need at quarterback, and they haven't made that a secret this offseason. While new coach Rex Ryan has publicly praised 2013 first-round pick EJ Manuel, he and general manager Doug Whaley have both mentioned that the team will explore every avenue when it comes to upgrading the position.

How much of an upgrade would Bradford be? If healthy, Bradford represents a substantial upgrade for Buffalo. The injury history might scare off some teams, though. Bradford has torn his ACL in consecutive years, came out of college after a season spent nursing a shoulder injury and has a high ankle sprain in his NFL career. In five seasons since being the No. 1 overall pick back in 2010, Bradford has played a full season just twice and has missed 31 games due to injury.

Injuries aside, Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick back in 2010 for a reason, and while his salary is a bit high, he's entering the final season of that contract. In his last full, healthy season, Bradford threw for just over 3,700 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He didn't play at all in 2014 but was off to a hot start in 2013, throwing for just over 1,600 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in seven games.

Part of the issue for Bradford in St. Louis was his supporting cast. Meanwhile, the Bills are quietly putting together an impressive group of young skill players, headlined by 2014 No. 4 overall pick Sammy Watkins and 2013 second-round pick Robert Woods. Buffalo has to upgrade its offensive line, find a tight end and maybe add some youth to the backfield, but the Bills have the makings of a decent offense if they can find the right quarterback.

Without a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the trade and free-agent markets make more sense for the Bills. It's not entirely clear what the Rams will want in return for Bradford, but the Bills have only six picks in the upcoming draft, and just two of those are in the first four rounds.

At the very least, Ryan and Whaley are sticking to their word and leaving no stone unturned in their search for the quarterback who can help the Bills end their 15-year playoff drought.