Broncos change floor, not ceiling, with Teddy Bridgewater
On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos acquired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers. What does it all mean?
Drew Lock should be worried.
One day before the start of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos traded for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, sending the Carolina Panthers a sixth-round pick. For Denver general manager George Paton, it’s an upgrade over his third-year man in Lock. Lock led the NFL with 15 interceptions despite only playing in 13 games.
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Bridgewater, 28, is now on his fifth team in as many seasons. After finishing out the 2017 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings — following a comeback from a brutal leg/knee injury — Bridgewater signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets but was traded to the New Orleans Saints during the preseason. After two years in the Bayou, he signed for three years and $60 million last year with the Panthers, only to be traded quickly.
Now, Bridgewater enters Denver as an improvement over what was there.
However, the Broncos still have considerable work to do at the position. Looking at the AFC West, it’s impossible to make a real argument Denver doesn’t have the worst situation at the game’s most important position. Patrick Mahomes is a supernova, while Justin Herbert is coming off a fantastic rookie campaign. Derek Carr isn’t great, but qualifies as above-average.
With Bridgewater, the Broncos are likely ensuring they aren’t going to turn the ball over much. Last year, the veteran from Louisville completed 69.1 percent of his attempts while notching 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The numbers are backup-esque, but are better than Lock’s, who went for 57.3, 16 and 15 in the respective categories.
Read: Panthers Deal Teddy Bridgewater To Broncos
Ultimately, it would be foolish of Paton to pass on a quarterback at No. 9 overall if the opportunity presents itself. Should Trey Lance or Justin Fields fall, and Denver’s scouting department likes the talent within the kid, why not make the move? In this age of the rookie wage scale, the Broncos aren’t locked into huge money as they would have been 15 years ago. If the move doesn’t pan out, missing on a first-round pick is tough, but the upside is enormous.
The Broncos didn’t solve their real problem on Thursday in Bridgewater. They improved, but not significantly. To that end, looking at a quarterback in the first round should absolutely remain in play for a franchise in desperate need of a bigger upgrade.
