Teddy Bridgewater

[Mothman]

From the comments section to that first article you linked (Jim). Pretty funny.

[Funkytown]

Supposedly the nickname Bridge has had since high school. "Great Under Major Pressure". Sure hope it translates to NFL. Side note. One stat that is impressive is his red zone effectiveness. Something we have sucked at. In 2013 Bridge has 17-0 TD interception ratio and a rating of 113 in the red zone.

Did you tear up when Johnny Boy went to the Browns? ...you cried a little, huh? At least you seem to be diggin' our pick.

Edit: With a quick search, I found that you said this in December: "Come this May the dynamic duo is JFB and AD. Can you say exciting serious threat offense? I just hope we get JFB before the Browns pick him up."

Darn it.

[nightowl]

Edit: After typing that, I was curious to see what kind of post-draft theories were around abut why Bridgewater lasted until pick #32

Warning: Rambling Wall of Text incoming!

I believe it's the classic Over Analysis and Arrogance of NFL Scouting/Coaching. The Scouts, Coaches and GM's are so obsessed with finding guys who fit the "Prototype" that they become blind to a good thing staring them right in the face. In their minds they turn good players into marginal players because they lack a certain measurable that most of the time isn't necessary for, or a true indicator of success. The flip side is marginal players who have those measurables get elevated because coaches believe they can teach them the rest.

Bortles and Bridgewater are perfect examples of this. Bortles has the Size the scouts drool over but needs to be coached up in every facet. Bridgewater is the most polished of the group but needs to build an NFL Body... Personally I think it'll be easier to put on 15-20 pounds than to learn to be an NFL QB. Arm Strength? Bortles doesn't have a cannon either, many just assume he does because he's 6'4" 245. They said Teddy has small hands? They're only 1/8 of an inch smaller than Blake Bortles... and Aaron Rodgers who also has 9-3/8″ hands.Click: Aaron Rodgers scouting report
In case you don't have a ruler nearby 1/8" is roughly two quarters stacked together. That's the difference between scrub and stud? Bridgwater didn't even have the smallest hands in the class.

Bortles 9-3/8″
Bridgewater 9-1/4″
Carr 9-1/8″
Manziel 9-7/8″
Garopollo 9-3/4″
McCarron 10″
Thomas 10-7/8″
Mettenberger 9-3/4″
Savage 9-5/8″
Fales 9-1/4″
Wenning 10″
Murray 9-1/8″
Gilbert 9-3/8″

Frankly if Bortles were the same height and weight as Teddy he may not have been amongst the top 4 QB's taken.

Click: Here's a good article about Teddy's ability to run an offense

“Teddy’s been taught from day one that I want him to be the coordinator at the line of scrimmage because he can be far better than me.” —Shawn Watson

Bridgewater has vast responsibility at the line of scrimmage. First there is the kill system. Two or three plays are called in the huddle. Depending on the defense, Bridgewater has the ability to “kill” the first play, and run one of the others. It’s solely Bridgewater’s decision.

Bridgewater also has an audible system at his disposal, with the same goal as every good NFL system: stay out of bad plays. If the play Watson has called has little chance of success against a particular defense, Bridgewater can change the play entirely at the line of scrimmage.

Finally, Bridgewater redirects the offensive line protections by either identifying the middle linebacker in man-to-man protections, or directing the slide one way or the other in zone.

You’d be hard-pressed to find many, if any, college quarterbacks that are asked to do that much, especially at 21 years old and in a completely full-field read progression system. Most of the recent top drafted quarterbacks, like E.J. Manuel, Geno Smith and Robert Griffin III, came from systems that called for quarterbacks to only read half or a quarter of the field. Bridgewater has the ability to direct the ball to any part of the field on every snap.

Bridgewater’s been doing that for two years. This past season, he made just three mental mistakes when it came to adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

Factor in his top of the class numbers against the Blitz and Under Pressure and there's no reason this guy shouldn't have been the first QB off the board.

[Webbfann]

They're only 1/8 of an inch smaller than Blake Bortles... and Aaron Rodgers who also has 9-3/8″ hands.

I'll just say again that I believe that the 9 3/8 figure for Rodger's hand size, though oft-repeated around the internet, is most likely in error.





That is NOT a small hand, even accounting it for being close to the lens. Look at the pinky finger, which is part of the NFL hand spread measurement. I don't know where that 9 figure came from but I saw other references to it being over 10". I'm not sure what his official measure is.

[dead_poet]

Jaguars, Browns, Vikings took QB mulligan in 2014 NFL Draft

What was the book on Christian Ponder heading into the 2011 draft? Ponder wasn't hailed as a blue-chip prospect for much of the pre-draft process, but his combination of talent and intelligence helped him eventually work his way up the board. Ponder impressed scouts with his performance at the Senior Bowl and continued to impress during interviews, workouts and team visits. Thus, some evaluators simply looked past his pedestrian numbers as a three-year starter at Florida State. (Ponder never topped the 3,000-yard mark in any season, and his 49:30 touchdown-to-interception ratio certainly didn't conjure up images of a remarkable player at the position.) I also was worried about his durability, with Ponder struggling to stay on the field due to various injuries.

Studying FSU game tape, Ponder was an efficient passer with adequate arm strength. He excelled at connecting the dots from the pocket, while displaying sound management skills as the leader of the Seminoles. Of course, his style didn't draw "oohs" and "aahs" from observers, but Ponder displayed enough potential to enter the conversation as a possible franchise quarterback in most war rooms.

Where did it go wrong in Minnesota? The Vikings made sure their young quarterback was surrounded by talent, so you can't go there for blame. Adrian Peterson is the top running back in the league, and the team added a number of solid pass catchers -- including Kyle Rudolph, Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jerome Simpson -- after selecting Ponder with the No. 12 overall pick in 2011. Thus, Minnesota's passing woes largely fall on the shoulders of Ponder himself.
Of course, Ponder's staunchest supporters point out the fact that he helped guide the Vikings to the playoffs in 2012. But let's be honest: Peterson's 2,097 rushing yards spearheaded the offense. Throw in the fact that Ponder was unavailable for the playoff game due to injury, and the questions about his ability to be a franchise quarterback certainly are valid.

What makes the Vikings so confident about Teddy Bridgewater?
Why will it be different for Teddy Bridgewater? Bridgewater is the most polished passer in the 2014 draft class. He has a keen understanding of complex passing concepts and knows how to dissect coverages, having spent three seasons directing a pro-style scheme at Louisville. Additionally, Bridgewater was tasked with tremendous responsibility at the line of scrimmage. Routinely changing protections and identifying hot reads/sight adjustments, he ran the entire operation at Louisville, giving him an opportunity to step in and contribute immediately as a potential first-year starter.

Bridgewater is an ideal fit in Norv Turner's system: an accurate dropback passer with outstanding timing, anticipation and accuracy. While some observers were scared away by Bridgewater's dismal pro-day performance, the film reveals a pinpoint passer with outstanding ball placement and touch. He capably makes every throw in the book, while exhibiting the ability to recognize -- and pick apart -- defensive strategies. The Vikings have a potential bridge in place, having re-signed veteran Matt Cassel in March, but Bridgewater has the skills to play as a rookie. With a plethora of weapons around him, Bridgewater should shine in Minnesota whenever he takes control of the offens

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/0ap20000 ... -nfl-draft

[Mothman]

Where did it go wrong in Minnesota? The Vikings made sure their young quarterback was surrounded by talent, so you can't go there for blame. Adrian Peterson is the top running back in the league, and the team added a number of solid pass catchers -- including Kyle Rudolph, Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jerome Simpson -- after selecting Ponder with the No. 12 overall pick in 2011. Thus, Minnesota's passing woes largely fall on the shoulders of Ponder himself.

Wow, that's shaky reasoning since it leaves the o-line completely out of the equation and two of those players weren't on the team for the first two seasons of Ponder's career. A third (Simpson) was all but useless in 2012. Heck, even Patterson wasn't on the field that much last year when Ponder was playing. His playing time increased toward the end of Ponder's run as starter.

Ponder has always made good use of Rudolph as a receiver and when he had Harvin, he did a good job of getting the ball to him too. Other than those two, how good were most of his weapons in 2011 and 2012?

There's no excuse for last year though. There was talent around him in 2013 and the questions about Ponder's durability are definitely valid.

What makes the Vikings so confident about Teddy Bridgewater?
Why will it be different for Teddy Bridgewater? Bridgewater is the most polished passer in the 2014 draft class. He has a keen understanding of complex passing concepts and knows how to dissect coverages, having spent three seasons directing a pro-style scheme at Louisville. Additionally, Bridgewater was tasked with tremendous responsibility at the line of scrimmage. Routinely changing protections and identifying hot reads/sight adjustments, he ran the entire operation at Louisville, giving him an opportunity to step in and contribute immediately as a potential first-year starter.

Bridgewater is an ideal fit in Norv Turner's system: an accurate dropback passer with outstanding timing, anticipation and accuracy. While some observers were scared away by Bridgewater's dismal pro-day performance, the film reveals a pinpoint passer with outstanding ball placement and touch. He capably makes every throw in the book, while exhibiting the ability to recognize -- and pick apart -- defensive strategies. The Vikings have a potential bridge in place, having re-signed veteran Matt Cassel in March, but Bridgewater has the skills to play as a rookie. With a plethora of weapons around him, Bridgewater should shine in Minnesota whenever he takes control of the offense

Let's hope that's exactly what happens and sooner the better.

[VikeMike]

All the noodling and measuring can only amount to so much. The question is, with any player, yeah, but can he play?

Scouting is only part of the equation. Bradshaw was supposed to be too dumb. Tarkenton, too small. Brady, too slow. Sure, there are the can't-miss Peyton Mannings of the world ... And there are the "can't miss" Ryan Leafs. Personally, I though Rick Meyer was going to be a dynamo. Oops.

Coach him up, and get the kid on the field ... I don't care how small his hands are. Can he switch off at the LOS and hit the third-down pass during crunch time. There's only one way to know ...

[Texas Vike]

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater may not know the elation of being a top-five draft pick like Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. Bridgewater also can't generate the same buzz that emanates from Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who sometimes seems like a one-man walking reality show. About the only thing Bridgewater can claim for himself -- at least when it comes to the signal-callers selected in this year's NFL draft -- is impossibly good fortune. A few years from now, when we look back at this rookie class, he'll ultimately be the best quarterback of the bunch.

The beauty of Bridgewater is that he comes into the NFL with a clear sense of who he is and what he needs to do. When the Vikings traded up to draft him with the last pick in the first round, he didn't use that moment as a chance to say he'd make the 31 teams that passed on him regret that slight. He said he was blessed to be in the NFL. He saw this for what it was: the road he'd been given to travel on his own journey through professional football.

The reports coming out of Minnesota following his first rookie minicamp only reaffirm that invaluable maturity. Bridgewater impressed head coach Mike Zimmer with his early feel for the playbook, leadership skills and preparation. Bridgewater actually looked so good that Zimmer promised him some first-team reps once the Vikings veterans start participating in OTAs. You hate to make comparisons, but these are the things Russell Wilson did when he was just an eager third-round pick trying to gain the faith of the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Two years later, he was a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and a two-time Pro Bowler.

More at link:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10956 ... ny-manziel

[dead_poet]

More at link:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10956 ... ny-manziel

Thanks for the link. A very feel-good story. I'll be anxious to read about him in camp and see him in the preseason.

[dead_poet]

Teddy Bridgewater - QB - Vikings

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live that the Vikings are "determined" to not rush No. 32 pick Teddy Bridgewater onto the field too soon.

The Vikings re-signed Matt Cassel and return Christian Ponder, and Schefter insisted they are "determined" to make sure Bridgewater knows Norv Turner's offense before putting him on the field. Both Schefter and GM Rick Spielman said on ESPN Tuesday that Bridgewater has been the "first one in the building and last one to leave" every day since the Vikings drafted him. A known football junkie, we don't think it'll take long for Teddy to learn the system.

[Mothman]

Teddy Bridgewater - QB - Vikings

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live that the Vikings are "determined" to not rush No. 32 pick Teddy Bridgewater onto the field too soon.

The Vikings re-signed Matt Cassel and return Christian Ponder, and Schefter insisted they are "determined" to make sure Bridgewater knows Norv Turner's offense before putting him on the field. Both Schefter and GM Rick Spielman said on ESPN Tuesday that Bridgewater has been the "first one in the building and last one to leave" every day since the Vikings drafted him. A known football junkie, we don't think it'll take long for Teddy to learn the system.

We hear that so much about hard-working NFL players that it makes me wonder if they each get their own building.

[PacificNorseWest]

Well put, moth. I was thinking along those same lines, but just wondering what that means exactly. Is he getting there right at 7am when they open and everyone else comes in at 7:15 or is he there hours before others and stays hours later? It's almost cliche now.

[S197]

I don't think it's cliche with Bridgewater, he's a known film junkie.

[dead_poet]

I always wonder who the last one to arrive/first one to leave is. That's never reported.

[The Breeze]

I always wonder who the last one to arrive/first one to leave is. That's never reported.

It's usually the guy with the biggest hands~