How Bridgewater might impact offensive strategy and personnel

[CatTower]

3 hours ago, mc52beast said:

So basically Teddy will be just good enough to screw us in next years draft 

Think that is going to come down to the defense. 

[pantherj]

The likelihood of Bridgewater being seriously injured this season (if the NFL isn't cancelled) is extremely high. Our defense should be the worst the NFL has ever seen, so Teddy will need to throw to play catch up. We added an extremely injury prone LT, and lost our best guard from a terrible o-line, so I would bet the farm Teddy won't last the entire season. There is just no way. Too many hits on skinny guy with a knee that was completely obliterated. But rest easy there is no chance we're playing this season imo.

[top dawg]

I remember when "Tanking for Teddy" was a thing with a few Huddlers. Considering how his career has gone, this year looks to be the one where we can see if they were on to something.

[Khyber53]

Good read. We wouldn't have made a move for him if our new OC didn't see something of value there.

Edit to add: Teddy has had to fight for his career, whether behind bad O-lines, bad coaching or the most gruesome football injury I've seen (even beating out Theisman's leg breaking on MNF). The guy doesn't give up. Scrappy guys with skills eventually do win, if only for a while. Here's hoping he's still got a lot of fight left in him.

[MHS831]

Cam was wanting a new deal.  Locking Cam down for 5 years and then finding out he is too banged up to play---he still keeps the $50-60m guaranteed money and we still need a QB.  For those of you who think losing a healthy Cam hurts the franchise, extending an injured Cam kills it. 

Bridgewater will cost us what Cam would have cost us for 1 year, and then his salary would have exploded. If extended now as he wanted, it would have gone up $5-10m per season.

Bridgewater gives us a functional QB during the rebuild for 3 years.  He could play another few years after that with a solid OL and good running game and defense.  In 2020, Cam would have cost us $30m, for example.  Bridgewater will cost us $21m per year.  (Savings: $9m)  If Cam were still healthy, the next year (2021) he would have cost us $33m. (Savings: $12m).  Then in 2022, $33 million to Cam, $21m to Bridgewater (savings $12m).  Cam is now 34, Bridgewater is now Cam's current age.  We have saved $33m over the three years. 

Or in 2021, the Panthers draft Lawrence.  Bridgewater plays as Lawrence learns the system.  At the end of the season,  Bridgewater, now 28 or 29, is traded.  We get a second rounder and have a QB on a rookie contract for 4 more seasons.  That is saving a LOT of money with which you can rebuild. 

So keeping Cam, healthy or not, was not smart based on his age alone and contract demands.  Bridgewater quite possibly keeps us from paying $35m for a QB for the next six years.   Extending Cam, if healthy or not, would have assured us of paying over $35m for a QB for the next five to six years.  Why do that? 

[Mage]

4 hours ago, mc52beast said:

So basically Teddy will be just good enough to screw us in next years draft 

It's possible, but I actually think Bridgewater could excel in this offseason.  Minnesota didn't do a good job developing him IMO - he was never someone that was going to work in Turner's offense. 

Schematically, this is a good fit for him.  He's always got good players who go along with his skillset - McCaffrey, Moore, and Samuel all excel underneath.  We still need a more dependable #2 than Samuel.  However I do think Bridgewater could potentially cement himself as a long-term QB.  Maybe not top five, but certainly top ten.  And a top 10 QB for 20m is cheap as hell.

Of course it is possible he flops... but it was also possible that Cam wouldn't stay healthy or wouldn't be as good as he once was.  Not to mention Bridgewater is 3 years younger.  I'm sad to see Cam go, but I think this was a good move by the Panthers.  Bridgewater and Cam both have question marks, but one is 3 years younger and is a better fit for the system.  And while his knee injury was gruesome, I'd bet on him staying healthier more than I would Cam.

[Jon Snow]

4 hours ago, mc52beast said:

So basically Teddy will be just good enough to screw us in next years draft 

Are you thinking he's going to be winning a lot of shootouts?  Because this defense won't be stopping anyone.  Brother that's a tall order.  I wouldn't get my hopes up.

[Moo Daeng]

I think the driving factor is Brady not Bridgwater. That's why we have him 

[run-run-pass-punt]

Whaa? Can't be!

Doom and gloom for all! We're going 0-16 for the next decade. Without Cam, there can be no hope.

[MHS831]

On 3/18/2020 at 5:24 PM, Jon Snow said:

Are you thinking he's going to be winning a lot of shootouts?  Because this defense won't be stopping anyone.  Brother that's a tall order.  I wouldn't get my hopes up.

No--our DT can stop them. 

[Jon Snow]

8 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

No--our DT can stop them. 

Not by himself.

[Snake]

With this coaching staff behind him I think Teddy might be a better QB than Cam at some point. 

[panthers55]

On 3/18/2020 at 12:28 PM, mc52beast said:

So basically Teddy will be just good enough to screw us in next years draft 

I hope so. I hope every year we get royally screwed and end up 32nd. Unfortunately it hasnt worked out that way.

[TheCasillas]

I have every reason to believe that Joe Brady will put a system in place that Teddy B will flourish in. Just like McVay did for Goff. If you can go to the super bowl with Goff and that Rams defense, then you can with this roster as well.