Teddy Bridgewater: A Value Pick For The 2020 NFL Season

Teddy Bridgewater is back in the market because of Drew Brees announcing that he was indeed coming back for at least one more season with the New Orleans Saints. Bridgewater would have played the position of quarterback had Brees not announced his return, and given Bridgewater’s current form, it is unlikely he will stay with the Saints to play as a back up to 40-year-old Brees. 

While Brees might be on the last leg of his career, his near injury-free record across 13 seasons means that Bridgewater will not see much playing time if he does choose to remain as his second fiddle. This is more unlikely because of his successful run in the previous season in all the five games he played while Brees was out. Now that several teams are on the market for new starters, Bridgewater looks increasingly promising for these teams to pick. 

Although his stats make him an impressive pick, he was ignored in the market last year. This was, however, before his successful stint with the Saints, meaning that more teams will be interested in him than the previous year. At 27 years, the young quarterback has presented a starting option only with Miami last year. This offseason, after this passer rating of over 103 in five starts he played, he will undoubtedly garner much more interest than before. 

Teams also have an added advantage in picking him. With the skillset and age on his side, this QB has not been able to get contract amounts that are typical of starters in the league. He might be a great catch for any team that is able to get him at a reasonable price and give him an opportunity to play as a starter and not as a back up to any other QB. 

Bridgewater arguably doesn’t have the typical characteristics of QBs that many teams are still fond of and tend to gravitate towards while making their pick - a larger size and greater arm strength. Some of these teams include the Jaguars and the Broncos. He could be seeing interest from the Panthers, as he has worked with their current offensive coordinator Turner. But even at Panthers, it might be difficult for him to make it as the starter given that they already have a strong QB option. 

While the Patriots might be the ideal fit for Bridgewater, given the playing styles and coaches. The team is more than unlikely to move on from Tom Brady, despite recent troubles with him and the management. Tom Brady has made a public event out of this dispute and looks more than ready to walk from the Patriots (he even put his Boston mansion on the market). But anybody following the league knows that Brady and the Patriots need each other, without which they might as well forget about the championships. These might be some teams that could pick Bridgewater this season: 

Indianapolis Colts.

While the Colts seem likely to go after Brady (like every other team looking for a starter), Bridgewater will be a great fit for the team. Although they have Jacoby Prisett as their starter, they could choose to bring in another starter and use their training camp as a competition ground. He will be able to create the perfect starting run alongside the offensive duo of Frank Reich and Sirianni, as all three of them make well-timed short passes. His ability to read the offense with ease will make him perfect for passing the ball to the playmakers on time. Given that Bridgewater’s expertise doesn’t like in the athletics department as much as it does in his skillful passing, playing alongside one of the strongest offensive sides in the league will be an added advantage. 

Las Vegas Raiders.

Also, a very highly likely pick, the Raiders would do great to have Bridgewater if they do decide to move on from their existing QB Carr. Bridgewater has, in the past, impressed Gruden, and Gruden does like to keep things fresh by shuffling up his roster more often than not. Bridgewater’s shorter passes make him a better fit than existing QB Carr, who has had an issue with throwing downfield and ensuring the game moves as expected. Bridgewater does have the opportunity to make an impactful difference in this team’s gameplay, as his passes are almost always made with the decision to throw to a target who is closer to the line of scrimmage.