Funkytown wrote:FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports rookie Teddy Bridgewater has already begun splitting first-team reps with Matt Cassel at Vikings camp.
Glazer reports there is "hugeeee optimism" about Bridgewater among team brass, and he's "definitely been more impressive than they expected." Cassel remains the slight favorite to start on Opening Day, but Bridgewater has quickly made it an interesting camp battle. Bridgewater's passing strengths are at the short and intermediate levels. He could be a great fit with Kyle Rudolph.
Source: Jay Glazer on Twitter
Really? I was at practice on Friday and Saturday and I didn't see Teddy take any 1st team reps. He looked awful out there. Well, maybe not awful but he looked like a rookie. Bad footwork, kept overthrowing the ball and he took forever to go through his progressions. Also, he looked really skinny compared to Cassel and Ponder. Maybe he'll do better in the preseason games but I doubt having a defense in his face will make him look any better. I didn't see anything impressive about him at all.
Ally wrote:
Really? I was at practice on Friday and Saturday and I didn't see Teddy take any 1st team reps. He looked awful out there. Well, maybe not awful but he looked like a rookie. Bad footwork, kept overthrowing the ball and he took forever to go through his progressions. Also, he looked really skinny compared to Cassel and Ponder. Maybe he'll do better in the preseason games but I doubt having a defense in his face will make him look any better. I didn't see anything impressive about him at all.
Yeah, but I hear those overthrows were all nice, tight spirals. They say he throws a pretty ball.
Bridgewater certainly does look rather delicate. I don't think all the time in the weight room or at the training table can change that. We just have to face it - with the way he's built, he's never going to physically look the part of a modern-day NFL quarterback. Whether or not it's going to have any effect on his durability remains to be seen, but I think we'll all be holding our breath each time a 300 lb defensive tackle falls on him.
Eli wrote:Yeah, but I hear those overthrows were all nice, tight spirals. They say he throws a pretty ball.
Eli wrote:Bridgewater certainly does look rather delicate. I don't think all the time in the weight room or at the training table can change that. We just have to face it - with the way he's built, he's never going to physically look the part of a modern-day NFL quarterback.
He'll be 22 this season so he's just a kid. When he gets older and hits his prime he'll be filled out. I don't think there will be much risk of him ever getting pudgy, so there's that.
HornedMessiah wrote:
He'll be 22 this season so he's just a kid. When he gets older and hits his prime he'll be filled out. I don't think there will be much risk of him ever getting pudgy, so there's that.
That's the thing ... Bridgewater doesn't have any "out" to fill. He may put on a little weight, but he'll still look a lot more like Bernard Berrian than Ben Roethlisberger.
Ally wrote:
Really? I was at practice on Friday and Saturday and I didn't see Teddy take any 1st team reps. He looked awful out there. Well, maybe not awful but he looked like a rookie. Bad footwork, kept overthrowing the ball and he took forever to go through his progressions. Also, he looked really skinny compared to Cassel and Ponder. Maybe he'll do better in the preseason games but I doubt having a defense in his face will make him look any better. I didn't see anything impressive about him at all.
I can care less about the skinny part, he has proven time and time again that he can take the hits. The skinny crap needs to stop. Did Bridgewater throw a bunch of interceptions, if not his decision making is sound? If he reads progressions slowly that something that will be fixed with time, as he catches up with the speed of the game. Over throwing the ball has alot to do with conquering the speed of the game, its generally caused by being forced the release the ball earlier than anticipated, as the game slows down for him I expect he will find better placement. According to a few different reports in Mankato, Bridgewater looked better on day three. Bridgewater is going to have rookie hiccups, there is no seamless transition to the NFL.
• Robert Blanton clearly has a leg up on the competition for the second starting safety spot as he ran with the first-team defense again. Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond and Kurt Coleman saw snaps with the second team with Andrew Sendejo (back) on the PUP.
• Tight end AC Leonard saw first-team snaps alongside Kyle Rudolph in a two tight end set ahead of Rhett Ellison, who worked with the second team. Chase Ford (broken foot) is on the PUP.
• With Captain Munnerlyn (hamstring) also on the PUP, rookie Jabari Price saw some first-team snaps as the slot corner.
Peterson: "I'm sure you guys have written stories in the past about us being predictable. You won't be able to write that story this year."
Kicking it on first down, coaches playing six snaps/game, cheerleaders getting designed runs, feet-only plays, all offensive linemen block with their heads pulled down into their shoulder pads...it's going to be fun to watch.
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
I liked what I saw out of Blanton when he came off the bench last year. It was rough around the edges but you could see he had some potential. I'm sure he would have good chemistry with Smith too. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that we have a 7th rounder taking 1st team reps. Hopefully it's Spielman finding a diamond and not indicative of his competition.
