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Teddy Bridgewater

QB Notes: Cousins, Taylor, Bortles

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve had several days to recover from Andrew Luck‘s record-breaking contract extension with the Colts. Of course, plenty of pundits are now analyzing how that deal might impact the league’s other quarterbacks.

Let’s take a look at some quarterback-centric notes, and we may get some clarity on who will get paid next…

  • Luck’s new contract will have little influence over Kirk Cousins‘ potential next contract with the Redskins, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Rather, the quarterback will likely be operating under the franchise value, which ends up being around $78.36MM over three seasons.
  • Meanwhile, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News believes Luck’s new deal “only mean[s] good fortune” for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The writer is convinced that the organization will spend on a franchise QB, although he’s uncertain how much they’ll actually be willing to pay Taylor.
  • While Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles surely won’t make Andrew Luck-money, Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com believes the signal-caller could be in line for a contract exceeding $100MM.
  • Barring some unforeseen circumstances, no quarterback from the 2013 draft will be in line to command a huge payday. However, Florio notes that a handful of 2014 draft picks are in line to get paid, including Bortles, Derek Carr, and Teddy Bridgewater.
  • Former NFL agent Joel Corry (writing for CBSSports.com) surveys several other quarterbacks who could be impacted by the Luck deal, including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford.

North Notes: AP, Walsh, Manziel, Bears

September 19th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is at his best in the shotgun. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is at his best in the I-formation. Bridgewater is eight years younger than Peterson, meaning the Vikings have to consider his development of the utmost importance. That doesn’t mean they’re going to phase Peterson out of their offense, writes Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. Peterson had just 10 carries for 31 yards in the Vikings’ 20-3 loss in San Francisco on Monday, but offensive coordinator Norv Turner doesn’t expect that lack of usage to become a trend.

“We’re looking at the things we have to do and the things that give us a chance to beat Detroit,” said Turner. “Games come up different and we all know Adrian is a big part of what we do and we want him to be able to have an impact.”

The Vikings’ matchup against the NFC North rival Lions is one of Week 2’s biggest, considering both playoff hopefuls are looking to avoid 0-2 starts. It’ll be interesting to see if Peterson rebounds and tears through the Lions’ defense – something he’s done throughout his career. The 30-year-old has 1,258 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games against Detroit.

Here’s more on the Vikings and a couple other North-based clubs:

  • The Vikings elected in the offseason to let Peterson’s former lead blocker, fullback Jerome Felton, depart in free agency. Felton signed in Buffalo for $3.6MM in guarantees, and the Vikings gave kicker Blair Walsh slightly more ($3.7MM guaranteed). Both decisions could prove to haunt the team, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Walsh’s accuracy has dropped precipitously every year of his career, from 92.1 percent to 86.7 to 74.3 last year, and he missed one of his two kicks Monday.
  • With Johnny Manziel set to make his third career start, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal checked off what the second-year man will need to do against Tennessee in order to show the Browns he’s ready for a bigger role. Manziel’s tenure in the pros has been disastrous thus far, so a solid Sunday showing would obviously be a welcome change for him and the Browns.
  • The Bears had the second-most turnovers during the preseason, but most of the plays were made by defenders who are no longer filling prominent roles now that the regular season has begun. That’s a problem, writes the Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam Jahns, who wonders where the Bears’ defensive playmakers are. They have several well-paid defenders and former high-round draft picks, but they were quiet during the exhibition season and in the team’s Week 1 loss to Green Bay. Head coach John Fox is hoping for better things against Arizona in Week 2. “You get 16 opportunities, and we’re into our second one,’’ Fox said. ‘‘I look for improvement.’’

Extra Points: Attaochu, Bowman, Bridgewater

July 5th, 2015 at 8:20pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today, Rory Parks gave us a roundup of some notes from some early Sunday NFL news, including an update on Chris Borland‘s post-NFL life, Marcus Mariota’s potential holdout, and a couple of notes on the Saints, Browns, and Broncos.

Now, for anyone who was too busy watching the USA defeat Japan 5-2 in the World Cup, here are a couple more pieces of NFL news that trickled across the landscape this evening:

  • Second-year pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu only had two sacks in limited snaps as a rookie, but is focused on improving that number in 2015, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. He writes that Attaochu trained in combine-related drills for much of last offseason, but is focused on football-specific drills and getting reps in practice to prepare him for an increased role with the Chargers this year.
  • The Dolphins signed Zackary Bowman this offseason to compete for the starting cornerback job across from Brent Grimes, but right now the leader for that spot is Jamar Taylor, writes James Walker of ESPN. Bowman hasn’t stood out in minicamps, and Walker writes he has about a 50 percent chance of making the final roster, depending on how many cornerbacks the team keeps on the depth chart.
  • The Vikings are excited about Teddy Bridgewater and how he got stronger as the season went on in 2014, especially offensive coordinator Norv Turner, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today in his offseason report. With Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Kalil, and Brandon Fusco all back healthy on available, and Mike Wallace added to the fold, Bridgewater is ready to break out as leader of the offense.
  • Detroit Lions’ beat writer Dave Birkett addressed a number of issues on a Q&A with Ste Hoare of TheRouteTree.com. Birkett believes that Ameer Abdullah will begin the season as a complement to Joique Bell in the role Reggie Bush filled, but expects him to eventually emerge as the feature back. He also addresses the concern that first-round pick Laken Tomlinson’s interest in the medical field could leave him to an early retirement in the vain of Borland, but Birkett does not believe the team is worried and writes that the Lions encourage his interests off-the-field.

NFC Notes: AP, Bridgewater, Dotson, Cowboys

June 13th, 2015 at 5:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a solid rookie year despite being without the services of six-time Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, who missed all but one game in 2014 because of domestic-violence issues. The newly reinstated Peterson is hoping his return will help Bridgewater’s game reach new heights this season.

“Hopefully my presence will be able to lose a guy or two by bringing guys in that focus on stopping the run,” Peterson said, per ESPN’s Tania Ganguli.

Peterson won’t just aid Bridgewater as a runner, but he’s expecting to be a useful option in the passing game.

“With coach [Norv] Turner’s offense, there’s so much that he throws out there, so I’ll be more involved in the pass game, being out wide, presenting myself for Teddy to check down,” said the 30-year-old.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson is optimistic that ending his brief holdout and reporting to minicamp next week will help him get the new contract he’s seeking. “I think we can get a deal done pretty quickly,” Dotson said, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. “We were pretty close before. I’m hoping if I show up we can get it done. I really don’t want to miss any workouts or training camp.” Dotson, 29, has two years remaining on his contract, but he’s just the 22nd-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. That doesn’t jibe with his on-field performance, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the six-year veteran an impressive 28th among 84 qualifying offensive tackles last season.
  • Thanks to DeMarco Murray‘s departure in free agency, the Cowboys don’t have a clear No. 1 running back as the summer nears, but offensive coordinator Scott Linehan believes someone – be it Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle or Ryan Williams – will separate himself from the pack and earn the job as the team’s go-to ball carrier. “I think before it’s all said and done, that person will rise to the top. What’s interesting and exciting is that we’re going to find out,” said Linehan, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
  • When asked if the Lions’ addition of Garrett Gilbert meant that backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky could be on the way out, Dave Birkett of MLive.com responded that the chances of that happening are slim (via Twitter).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

NFC Links: McCourty, Bridgewater, Packers

March 22nd, 2015 at 8:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Devin McCourty ultimately stayed with the Patriots, but not before being lured by the NFL’s largest market. The Giants‘ offer was comparable to what McCourty ended up signing to stay in New England — five years, $47.5MM — co-owner John Mara told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

The best safety on the market’s refusal to take the Giants’ money began a failed venture that leaves the team with one of the most barren depth charts at any position in the league with the draft less than six weeks away. As of now, the Giants have only Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor, fifth-round picks in 2013 and 2014, respectively, on their roster. Neither has started a game. Former Giants starters Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps still reside in free agency.

Other news from the NFC …

  • Like the Steelers, the Packers are a staunch build-from-within franchise, and this year furthered that philosophy. As a result, corners Tramon Williams and Davon House departed, and coach Mike McCarthy expects Casey Hayward and former Gonzaga basketball talent Demetri Goodson to challenge for those spots, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Unless Carl Bradford or another player enables Clay Matthews to relocate to his former spot outside, the Pro Bowl linebacker may stay an inside linebacker going into the season.
  • Packers president Mark Murphy doesn’t expect the Bears’ proposal of both teams receiving a guaranteed overtime possession to pass, reports ESPN’s Jason Wilde. Murphy probably won’t support any of the rules changes, reports Silverstein on Twitter.
  • Vikings coach Mike Zimmer wants Teddy Bridgewater to gain weight and develop additional strength before he begins his first full season as the Vikings’ quarterback, writes Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Zimmer said the 2014 first-rounder played at around 210 pounds last season, and the second-year coach prefers the 6-foot-2 signal-caller to be closer to 220.
  • After reports surfaced of Adrian Peterson‘s agent declining a Vikings meeting, the All-Pro runner didn’t solicit much of a response from Zimmer. “Well, Adrian is under contract with us, and we’re excited to get him back here with his teammates and get him back playing,” Zimmer told Hartman.
  • The NFL held its first Veterans Combine on Sunday night in Arizona with numerous former NFLers participating. The Eagles were among the few teams to talk with offensive linemen after their drills concluded, NFL.com’s Mark Sessler reports on Twitter.

North Notes: Packers, Allen, Bears, Teddy

January 30th, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Less than two weeks after a pair of special teams blunders contributed to the Packers’ NFC Championship Game loss, Green Bay has fired special teams coach Shawn Slocum, the team announced. Slocum, who’d been with the Packers since 2006, had led an ST unit that had been below-average in recent seasons, finishing 18th, 19th, and 22nd in Football Outsiders’ special teams DVOA in ’12, ’13, and ’14, respectively. As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes, Slocum is just the second coordinator to be fired by head coach Mike McCarthy, the first being DC Bob Sanders, who was let go after the 2008 season.

Here’s more from the North divisions:

  • The Bears are likely to employ a 3-4 defense in 2015 under new coordinator Vic Fangio, and veteran defensive end (or linebacker, perhaps?) Jared Allen has a few concerns about the transition. “It’s not that I can’t do it,” Allen told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “For me, it is a question of what kind of system are we going to run? How do I fit in the system? How do we achieve our goals? These things will play out.” Both his 2015 base salary and roster bonus (which total $12.5MM) are guaranteed, so Allen, who admits he’d rather play end in a 4-3 look, will be on Chicago’s roster.
  • Chicago’s coaching staff will see some continuity at the receiver position, as the Bears announced Mike Groh will remain in his role as WR coach. Groh, the son of longtime NFL/NCAA coach Al Groh, served under ex-head coach Marc Trestman from 2013-14, and helped Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery put together outstanding seasons.
  • The Vikings nabbed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd pick in last year’s draft, and according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Lousiville product was reportedly happy he didn’t last elsewhere. A source tells Cabot that Bridgewater didn’t want to be selected by the QB-needy Browns because he knew that some in the Cleveland organization preferred Johnny Manziel. This jibes with what we’ve heard in the past, including reports that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left the Browns due to disputes over the selection of Manziel.

Extra Points: Goodell, Vikings, Harvin, Dogra

November 22nd, 2014 at 11:08pm CST by Rob DiRe

In the wake of the Adrian Peterson decision, tensions between the NFL and the player’s union are high once again, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Commissioner Roger Goodell exerted significant power in suspending Peterson for the season, singular power the the union was under the impression he would no longer be wielding on his own. According to Maske’s source, the two sides have no good will between them.

“I think it reflects a fundamental disagreement about the role of the commissioner’s office in the disciplinary process,” said Gabriel Feldman of the sports law program at Tulane University. “I think it’s a reflection of the tension that has existed. It’s not surprising. It would have been surprising if the Players Association had not sought so vigorously to have Peterson reinstated. To some extent, it is each side playing the role it’s supposed to play.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFL this Saturday evening:

  • In Peterson’s absence, the Vikings will be forced to continue the season using a running back-by-committe approach, and that may be the plan going forward, writes Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. He writes that the player taking carries for the Vikings next season could be any one of the players on the active roster, Peterson, or someone they take in the 2015 NFL Draft.
  • The Jets‘ have seen a lot of improvement with their midseason acquisition of Percy Harvin, and are happy with how he has fit in so far, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. They will have a tough decision to make at the end of the season on whether to keep him at his hefty price tag of $10MM, but Harvin hopes to remain with the team.
  • Since Ben Dogra has been fired, CAA Sports has also terminated the contracts of a number of employees who worked closely with the embattled NFL agent, writes Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal. On behalf of Dogra, his attorney, Rusty Hardin, stated that he was unsure of any “supposed cause” for his firing and ensured that none of the agent’s clients had left (via Twitter). He also commented on Dogra’s future, saying he “hasn’t decided where he is going to land or whether he is going to start his own firm.” (via Twitter).
  • Three of the top four quarterbacks selected in this past NFL Draft have seen significant game action this season, and Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post has compared their play to see who has played best and who has shown the most promise for the future. The answer to both questions so far point to Derek Carr, who has impressed with his decision-making and his quick release, according to Gabriel. Blake Bortles has struggled and Teddy Bridgewater has yet to be unleashed, while Johnny Manziel is the only one of the four to not receive any significant playing time this season.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bridgewater, Panthers

September 28th, 2014 at 9:13pm CST by Rob DiRe

Despite scoring 21 points in a loss to the 49ers, the Eagles offense was shut out during the game. They scored on a blocked punt, and interception return, and a punt return. When speaking after the game, head coach Chip Kelly was very critical of the team’s ability to run the football and block along the offensive line, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Dailey News (via Twitter). “We got lumped up front,” said Kelly. “They created pressure with three and four rushers. [We] tried to put in quarterback’s hands.”

The Eagles could not run the ball, and Kelly attributes that to the troubles along the offensive line, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). “We’re not very good up front right now,” said Kelly.

The team is without starting offensive linemen Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis due to injury, and Lane Johnson is set to return to game action next weekend after serving a four-game suspension. They also lost left tackle Jason Peters for portions of the past two games, last week to an ejection and today due to injury.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Vikings‘ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was brilliant in his first NFL start, but he left the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. X-rays came out negative, and he will undergo an MRI tomorrow. The question is whether or not he will be ready to play this Thursday against Green Bay, and head coach Mike Zimmer is optimistic on his quarterback’s chances. “I assume he’s going to play,” said Zimmer. “Teddy’s pretty dang tough.”
  • After Bridgewater left with the injury, the Vikings turned to former first-round pick Christian Ponder once again. Ponder was prepared to be back in the starting lineup, but has come to terms with the team’s commitment to Bridgewater.“Football is a crazy game and injuries unfortunately always happen. I’ve got to be prepared, God forbid something happens to Teddy. It’s Teddy’s team,” Ponder said. “Teddy, he was the first-round pick this past year and that’s the direction they’re heading. For me, I’m going to prepare to play if something happens, but I’m here to support Teddy and help him any way I can.”
  • The Panthers‘ running game has struggled this season with injuries to Mike Tolbert and Jonathan Stewart, in addition to a limited Cam Newton. It only got worse today, and DeAngelo Williams left the game early and was not able to return, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. The team had to play two undrafted free agents in the backfield, and will have trouble finding replacements if those injuries persist all season.

Bridgewater, Bortles In Line To Start

September 21st, 2014 at 10:09pm CST by Rob DiRe

Two quarterbacks chosen at opposite ends of the first round this offseason got their first opportunities at some live game action this Sunday. The Vikings traded back into the tail end of the first round to select Teddy Bridgewater, but did not give him the starting job many fans and pundits believed he earned coming out of the preseason.

Today, Matt Cassel was forced out of the matchup against the Saints with a broken foot. Bridgewater came into the game and failed to ignite the offense. Completing 12 of his 20 passes for 150 yards, he was able to survive, but not thrive, in his NFL debut. Considering the success that Matt Ryan and Brian Hoyer had against what looked to be an overrated Saints’ defense, Bridgewater came up short. Without Cassel for the immediate future, the team will have to play Bridgewater whether they want to or not, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

The Vikings struggled on offense the last two weeks without Adrian Peterson, but rolled to a huge blowout victory over the Rams with their starting running back in week one. With Peterson tied up in his child abuse case, he will not be back with the team for a significant amount of time if at all. Bridgewater will get his first start this Sunday at home against the Falcons.

Blake Bortles was selected third overall, and like his counterpart in Minnesota, the Jaguars took a patient approach with him. The plan was to use his rookie season to leave him on the bench and groom him to take over the team in 2015. That plan was accelerated during the blowout loss to the Colts.

Chad Henne completed only four of seven passes for 33 yards in the first half, before being replaced by Bortles. The fans in Jacksonville have been waiting to see their future play, and now that he has, the sense is that they will not go back to Henne, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

Bortles completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards, and added two touchdowns to go with two interceptions in garbage time of the 44-17 defeat. He should have a difficult assignment should he get his first start next week on the road against the Chargers, a difficult place for a team with a rookie quarterback to look to lead his team to the first win of the season.

Matt Cassel To Remain Vikings’ Starter

September 14th, 2014 at 5:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Matt Cassel threw four interceptions during the Vikings’ 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots, and the team was unable to get any offense going after an opening drive touchdown pass to backup running back Matt Asiata.

Vikings’ fans began openly begging for rookie first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater as the offense continued to stall throughout the game.

Those fans will not get their wish, at least not yet, according to Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune. Head coach Mike Zimmer will not make a change at the quarterback as the team prepares to face the Saints in New Orleans next week.

“As I’ve said before, I’m going to hold the quarterback position just like every position here to the same standard,” Zimmer said. “And I also said I wasn’t going to have a quick hook. Matt needs to play better. It’s pretty obvious he needs to play better.”

If Cassel keeps throwing the ball to the other team, the Bridgewater era might be coming to a start early in the season.

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