By Jordan Long’s
Rumor season in the NFL is heating up with the draft a week away. The Broncos own the 9th pick in the 1st-round. They will go with the best player available. There are reports Denver could be in the market to trade for Panthers’ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater sometime during the draft which starts next Thursday and ends on Saturday.
Bridgewater makes sense in Denver. He is a veteran quarterback and could push Drew Lock to become the starter. Bridgewater is entering his 8th season. He has played for Minnesota, New Orleans, and Carolina. Bridgewater started 49 games in his career. His record is just above .500 at 26-23.
Last year he was with the Carolina Panthers. He was a disappointing 4-11. The Panthers finished the year 5-11. Bridgewater passed for 3,733 yards and 15 touchdowns. The problem with him was turning the ball over. There were times he took chances throwing the ball into tight spots where the receiver was covered, ending in 11 interceptions. It wasn’t all his fault. He kept getting pressured because the Panthers’ offensive line couldn’t protect him. Bridgewater ended up being sacked 31 times.
The only reason there is chatter for a trade is that the Panthers’ traded with the Jets for quarterback Sam Darnold. He is expected to be the #1 quarterback on the roster. This leaves the Panthers to look for a deal for Bridgewater.
According to Si.com, Denver 7’s Troy Renck said in a tweet, “[The] Broncos at very least, [are] expected to express interest in Bridgewater. But there would be wrinkles to iron out [the] acquisition price and his current salary. In theory, Denver could add Teddy and still draft QB in round one and move on from Lock. A lot of options to consider.”
Bridgewater seems like a good fit for Denver. He is familiar with Denver Broncos’ General Manager George Paton. Paton was with the Vikings’ organization when Bridgewater was their quarterback from 2014 to 2017.
The Broncos could use a backup veteran quarterback for Lock, even if they select one with the #9 pick. Bridgewater would give him competition which could only make Lock better. Both of them play the same style, meaning they have the ability to roll out of the pocket to buy time and can run for yards if they think the receivers aren’t open. The only advantage Lock has over Bridgewater is he knows the playbook. Bridgewater needs time to understand the play calls. The preseason may determine who earns the spot.
There are two problems with trading for Bridgewater. The first is the cap hit. The Broncos currently have around $28.229 million in cap space. Bridgewater’s is around $22.911 million, a lot for Denver to take on for this year. Next season, his cap hit is $26 million. Denver would talk to Bridgewater to make the cap hit less than what it is now. Who knows if Bridgewater is willing to budge on that number.
The other difficulty is what the Panthers are willing to take for Bridgewater. The Broncos shouldn’t consider trading away 1st-round draft picks for the future. An agreement could look like a 2nd or 3rd pick along with a 5th round selection this year plus a 2nd or 3rd next year. Anything more than this would be too much.
The Broncos may decide to pass on Bridgewater. It wouldn’t make sense to give up the future for a quarterback they may have for this year and next. Bridgewater is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2023 season. Denver will do what is best for them for this season and years to come.
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