What are your intial feelings on Bridgewater as a Vike

[Webbfann]

I said pleased. I'm happy we have someone who will bump Ponder from our roster by next year if not sooner. I'm happy that the common wisdom on him needing some time to develop means that the starting job will probably be Cassel's for a while, and I think that is good in every way. Teddy might turn into something and might not, but for now I'll give him the benefit of the doubt while not getting my hopes too high.

[mondry]

Voted thrilled simply because this guy at #32 is about the best you could really hope for in this draft when it came to fixing the QB position but also still being able to take a top defensive player with our first pick. In that regard it couldn't have turned out any better really.

I'm also extremely thrilled we won't be taking Carr or McCarron now either. That alone is enough to be happy about Bridgewater.

[mossbutt]

Pissed at first, had a couple of beers and then ok with it after that, woke up this morning and feeling better about the whole thing.

Seems like a nice, humble fella with a good head on his shoulders. Love that TD/int ratio.

Welcome to the Vikings Mr Bridgewater.

[Webbfann]

Well, your "common wisdom" is sort of a 80s/90s mentality as it has been standard for the past 10 years basically for 1st round QBs to start from day one. The only exceptions were Rodgers (who was backing up a strong Favre) and Ponder (who was backing up Leslie Frazier's dream QB Donovan McNabb). otherwise Joe Flacco, Big Ben, Geno Smith, Andrew Luck, RG3, the list goes on.

All we can hope is that Zimmer/Turner aren't stubborn either way, and if Teddy is even close to ready they start him and not feel pressured to justify Cassel salary or any crap like that. the smart move is to be open to Cassel or Teddy starting all offseason long and make a decision in late August. I hate when teams decide this sort of thing in June and stubbornly stick with that NO MATTER WHAT.

if Teddy shows he is ready to play better than Cassel during the preseason I'm all for him starting. I've never watched him play, so I'm just going off what I've heard. And I've seen what happens when you start someone who isn't ready.

[maembe]

Remember during the season when the Vikings were supposed to "tank for Teddy"?

Well we didn't tank, didn't even take him at 9, and still managed to get him while only having to give up a 4th round pick.

[Webbfann]

Remember during the season when the Vikings were supposed to "tank for Teddy"?

Well we didn't tank, didn't even take him at 9, and still managed to get him while only having to give up a 4th round pick.

yes and I was going to start a thread to that effect. It just shows how stupid tanking for anyone is. We could have won the super bowl and still picked teddy.

[Ally]

I'll admit it, I'm disappointed with the pick. I think we could have used our 2nd pick on a good defensive player and still gotten a decent QB in the 3rd or 4th round. I don't think we needed a QB as badly as it appears so I feel getting one in the 1st round is a waste of a pick. Norv is supposed to be the "Quarterback Whisperer" so I'm sure he can turn around both Cassel and Ponder and make them into good players. We did need a 3rd QB but I was hoping we would have waited a while. Goroppolo, McCarron, Murray, Mettenburger or Savage would have all been fine to sit and develop for a year or two.

As far as Bridgewater himself, I'm neutral. He seems really small to me and I'm afraid he's going to be hurt all the time. I think I read somewhere that he was playing with a broken wrist last year and in a few of the videos I watched, he got up limping after getting hit - he's going to get hit a lot harder in the NFL. Hopefully he can bulk up some in the next year or two while he sits on the bench and learns. Another thing that concerns me is his pro day but I trust that Norv can help with that. I'm going to reserve judgement of him until I see him play but he seems like a good kid and I'm excited to cheer him on - even if I do think we wasted that pick.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Where is the option for 'on cloud nine?'


Honestly, I don't think the draft could have played out any better for us. Anthony Barr has the potential to be the next great Minnesota Vikings pass rusher. Barr was actually who I thought we were going to take early yesterday morning. My thought process shifted towards Bridgewater later in the day because I thought there might be run on QBs at the top of the draft.


Of course what made my night was the trade up for our new franchise quarterback. What is funny is I just knew we were going to trade up. I thought it may have been with Arizona or New England. When Seattle was on the clock, I was on the edge of my seat. As soon as I saw the norseman symbol in the 'on the clock' box on ESPN I knew we had traded up for Teddy Bridgewater. I was so excited, I split my drink all over myself (luckily, I wasn't wearing a jersey)!

For as mad as I have been at the conformity in the media and their tendency to jump on the 'Teddy Bridgewater sucks' bandwagon I just have to say, thank you. Thank you to all the blowhards in the media! I don't think we could have ever landed Bridgewater where we did if it wasn't for the media over-scrutnizing Bridgewater's pro-day to noisome.

Anyway, I gotta say, Rick Spielman, you sir definitely will not come under any fire from me any longer. I think Rick finally put to bed any concerns that he is in 'over his head' after last night.

[PacificNorseWest]

Ecstatic.

Even moreso than I was when they traded up to get Patterson. Teddy is a game-changer for this franchise.

[Slick Rick]

I see some networks already are comparing Bridgewater to Rodgers

They're REALLY similar, not only in their number or the fact that they run around a bit to extend plays, but both of them kind of had some questions about their mechanics coming out of college.

[PurpleMustReign]

I'll admit it, I'm disappointed with the pick. I think we could have used our 2nd pick on a good defensive player and still gotten a decent QB in the 3rd or 4th round. I don't think we needed a QB as badly as it appears so I feel getting one in the 1st round is a waste of a pick. Norv is supposed to be the "Quarterback Whisperer" so I'm sure he can turn around both Cassel and Ponder and make them into good players. We did need a 3rd QB but I was hoping we would have waited a while. Goroppolo, McCarron, Murray, Mettenburger or Savage would have all been fine to sit and develop for a year or two.

As far as Bridgewater himself, I'm neutral. He seems really small to me and I'm afraid he's going to be hurt all the time. I think I read somewhere that he was playing with a broken wrist last year and in a few of the videos I watched, he got up limping after getting hit - he's going to get hit a lot harder in the NFL. Hopefully he can bulk up some in the next year or two while he sits on the bench and learns. Another thing that concerns me is his pro day but I trust that Norv can help with that. I'm going to reserve judgement of him until I see him play but he seems like a good kid and I'm excited to cheer him on - even if I do think we wasted that pick.

THIS is how you make your presence felt on the board. While I disagree with your opinion, I respect the fact that you had the intelligence to explain your opinion with substance.

I Also wanted Murray or Mettenberger but I am ecstatic with the Bridgewater partially because of where we picked him. It was a brilliant move by Spielman, and on paper makes the Vikings a much better team. I Can't wait for the season to start!

[720pete]

https://www.google.com/search?q=tank+fo ... for+teddy"

[VikingPaul73]

'Wasted' a pick on the best QB in the draft? A guy who was projected to go #1 overall in 2013 (if he would have declared) AND 2014 (before 1 bad pro day)? The best, most prepared, pro style QB in the draft? A guy with insane completion percentages, great football IQ, who can run an offense from the line of scrimmage much like Manning?

Also, since when is 6'3" and almost 220lbs small for a QB?

And THIS is how most people respond to ANY criticism, regardless of how much thought was put into the post.

[halfgiz]

I think a lot of the success of a young quarterback has alot to do with the coaching. And I think Turner is one of the better OC's in the game.
I feel that was one of Ponders many downfalls - no coaching.

Hopefully the offence doesn't have to much of a learning curve before it gets hitting on all cylinders.

[Mothman]

Bridgewater possesses the dreaded "small hands":

http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikin ... to-vikings

The quarterback said the gloves help him grip the ball better, and he'll use them as he adjusts to the Vikings' temporary move outdoors, as well as yearly road games in Green Bay and Chicago. Bridgewater has never started a game in freezing temperatures, and one point of concern in the pre-draft process was his small hand size; his hand span is only 9 1/4 inches, and no quarterback with hands that small has made the Pro Bowl since 2008, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

More at the link.