The Dolphins wasted no time identifying and inking their new backup quarterback, landing Miami native and former Louisville signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater with a single-year deal very early in the first phase of free agency.
The pluses: Bridgewater is an experienced QB, with 64 starts under his belt, tallying more than 13,000 career passing yards and more than 60 passing touchdowns. A former first-round pick and Miami high school legend, he has a good pedigree and familiarity with the area, and at 29 years, he's still relatively young in a league that sees quarterbacks play into their late 30s consistently. He's highly accurate (66.4 percent completion percentage) and mobile (11 career rushing touchdowns), and he was solid in 14 starts for Denver last year, balancing 18 touchdown tosses with seven interceptions.
The negatives: There are rumblings that Bridgewater may not be completely satisfied with a No. 2 role, which has the potential for causing issues down the road. He has also had significant injury problems in his career, a suboptimal quality in a backup quarterback signed as a hedge against inevitable injuries to Tua Tagovailoa. At 6-2, 215 pounds, he's also on the smaller side of NFL QBs, like Tua. Like last year's backup, Jacoby Brissett, Bridgewater has a reputation for avoiding downfield shots and checking down. It's also worth noting that the 'Fins are Bridgewater's fifth team, including his fourth in four seasons.
The bottom line: Moving quickly on Bridgewater in an aggressive quarterback market was smart by Miami, and how quickly it came together likely bodes well for how new coach Mike McDaniel views Bridgewater. Brissett was put into position to fail a year ago, but there is little doubt that Bridgewater's skill set is more suited to the offense that McDaniel is envisioning. At one year and $6.5 million, the Dolphins have a minimal investment in Bridgewater, allowing both sides to assess the relationship throughout 2022 before making longer-term decisions about the position.
Considering all this, it's hard to imagine the 'Fins bringing in a better backup QB than Bridgewater.
No comments:
Post a Comment