Matt Hasselbeck on Teddy Bridgewater (1 Viewer)

[AsaPW]

I don’t care if he really is mediocre or not. We are 5-0 when he needed to step up and that’s all that matters. Glad we have him and not some guy fumbling and throwing picks.

 

[sammymvpknight]

There are currently only a few QBs in the league that can carry a bad team...and yet there are currently 18 QBs currently making over $20 million/season. Of course he's going to get paid a bunch of money. The current going rate for a starting QB is over $20 million/season. There is only two starters not on their rookie contract that are making less...Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett (they're both making over $15 million/season).

 

[t-rex23]

I wonder if the franchise quarterback narrative has been pushed too far.

Why is it better to have a great QB who is super expensive and having a thin team than it is to have a really good and affordable QB and a deep team?

I wouldn't want to pay Teddy like Brees, but I'd love to have Teddy on a good contract.

We have won 5 straight games against a good crop of teams. We did that by having a great team and a QB who won't make mistakes and will make a few great plays a game.

I'll take that

 

[BoNcHiE]

There are currently only a few QBs in the league that can carry a bad team...and yet there are currently 18 QBs currently making over $20 million/season. Of course he's going to get paid a bunch of money. The current going rate for a starting QB is over $20 million/season. There is only two starters not on their rookie contract that are making less...Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett (they're both making over $15 million/season).

Exactly what I said in the other thread. If Bridgewater is your QB, and I think Payton has seen enough to know he is, you pay him, even if it means sitting him on the bench behind Brees for one more farewell season.

Heck, if it means loosing Kamara, you still pay him. I don't think that happens, but there's no question QB is the most important position.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I wonder if the franchise quarterback narrative has been pushed too far.

Why is it better to have a great QB who is super expensive and having a thin team than it is to have a really good and affordable QB and a deep team?

I wouldn't want to pay Teddy like Brees, but I'd love to have Teddy on a good contract.

We have won 5 straight games against a good crop of teams. We did that by having a great team and a QB who won't make mistakes and will make a few great plays a game.

I'll take that

There have been a number of teams who have won the SB without an elite QB. It can be done without Brees or Brady. It's been done with Flacco, Foles, and washed-up Peyton Manning just in the last six years.

But you have to go back 18 years to Dilfer in 2001 to find a Super Bowl winner that didn't have at least an above average QB.

We can definitely win it without a HoF QB like Brees. But history shows we're very unlikely to win it with a below-average QB. And average to above-average QBs cost $20 million/season, unless they're on a rookie deal.

 

[B4YOU]

Exactly what I said in the other thread. If Bridgewater is your QB, and I think Payton has seen enough to know he is, you pay him, even if it means sitting him on the bench behind Brees for one more farewell season.

Heck, if it means loosing Kamara, you still pay him. I don't think that happens, but there's no question QB is the most important position.

Disagree.

I don’t think you can afford Drew, Bridgewater, Kamara, Lattimore, Apple, Klein, Bell. There isn’t enough room for 2 QB salaries for what Bridgewater will command. I seriously think Tampa would be an ideal landing spot. Plus we are now a defensively led team.

The tough conversation with Drew is coming. It starts with asking for minimum of 2 more years.

 

[Domeination]

If Brees retires after this season (hopefully with another Super Bowl victory), then we will pay Teddy starter money. I have no doubt about that. I think what we would be willing to pay him is all contingent on what Drew does. What has not been mentioned much on this thread is Teddy's intangibles. The players love him. Payton loves him. He has a great attitude and sterling character. That's worth an awful lot. Just look at how the lack of these things in Baker Mayfield is hurting the Browns this year. I think we can win with Teddy going forward, but I don't know how we would be able to pay two guys starter money and stay under the cap.

 

[44slayer]

I think people are too invested 1 way or another in this to think clearly. Bridgewater simply isn't as good as some people are making him, and he isn't as bad as others are saying he is. He is a mid level starter that requires a solid defense and a plus running game.

We have to realize Brees is one of the top 3 QBs to play. Ever. It is highly unlikely you catch lightning in a bottle again. So then you wonder, do we settle on Bridgewater and pay him starter money to backup another season, or do we let him walk and hope Brees goes another 2 years and draft a QB.

The catch22 is, you pay 2 QBs starter money, you have to skimp on other positions that are required to be + level starters in order for Bridgewater to win games. Brees can win with a bottom 3rd defense, he has for most of his career. Bridgewater needs help, I don't think he can win with a bottom 3rd defense. And theres NOTHING wrong with that. You aren't going to have a top 3 all time QB multiple times.

All I'm saying is, Bridgewater going to the Skins or Bengals is a disaster for him. He can start, and get paid, but that's just an awful position to put him in. He is not a franchise savior like Brees was. He is a piece of the puzzle.

But I do agree that this is a situation the FO is going to have to ask of Brees. If he wants to play another 2-3, fine. I think he can outperform Bridgewater for 2-3 more years. But I think Bridgewater has played well enough that they are going to want Brees to be more concrete about his plans.

 

[CincyShoe]

Yea if there’s one guy you want to listen to it’s Matt Hasselbeck, for his 212 TDs he’s chased them down with 153 Interceptions... he knows about ELEVATING a team.

Thankfully the internet has kept track of his stats or else I’d not remember a thing he did in football

He took the ball and he was going to SCORE!!!!

Oh wait he didn't.

 

[sbadeaux]

100000

I think people are too invested 1 way or another in this to think clearly. Bridgewater simply isn't as good as some people are making him, and he isn't as bad as others are saying he is. He is a mid level starter that requires a solid defense and a plus running game.

We have to realize Brees is one of the top 3 QBs to play. Ever. It is highly unlikely you catch lightning in a bottle again. So then you wonder, do we settle on Bridgewater and pay him starter money to backup another season, or do we let him walk and hope Brees goes another 2 years and draft a QB.

The catch22 is, you pay 2 QBs starter money, you have to skimp on other positions that are required to be + level starters in order for Bridgewater to win games. Brees can win with a bottom 3rd defense, he has for most of his career. Bridgewater needs help, I don't think he can win with a bottom 3rd defense. And theres NOTHING wrong with that. You aren't going to have a top 3 all time QB multiple times.

All I'm saying is, Bridgewater going to the Skins or Bengals is a disaster for him. He can start, and get paid, but that's just an awful position to put him in. He is not a franchise savior like Brees was. He is a piece of the puzzle.

But I do agree that this is a situation the FO is going to have to ask of Brees. If he wants to play another 2-3, fine. I think he can outperform Bridgewater for 2-3 more years. But I think Bridgewater has played well enough that they are going to want Brees to be more concrete about his plans.

100000% agree

after seeing Drew in the sidelines literally in Payton’s front pocket, I think he commits to 2-3 more years. I think he has gotten a taste of “not playing “, and he does not like it. I also believe records do matter to him so barring injury he won’t retire as long as Brady is playing.

 

[sammymvpknight]

 

[Loose Cannon]

I think people are too invested 1 way or another in this to think clearly. Bridgewater simply isn't as good as some people are making him, and he isn't as bad as others are saying he is. He is a mid level starter that requires a solid defense and a plus running game.

We have to realize Brees is one of the top 3 QBs to play. Ever. It is highly unlikely you catch lightning in a bottle again. So then you wonder, do we settle on Bridgewater and pay him starter money to backup another season, or do we let him walk and hope Brees goes another 2 years and draft a QB.

The catch22 is, you pay 2 QBs starter money, you have to skimp on other positions that are required to be + level starters in order for Bridgewater to win games. Brees can win with a bottom 3rd defense, he has for most of his career. Bridgewater needs help, I don't think he can win with a bottom 3rd defense. And theres NOTHING wrong with that. You aren't going to have a top 3 all time QB multiple times.

All I'm saying is, Bridgewater going to the Skins or Bengals is a disaster for him. He can start, and get paid, but that's just an awful position to put him in. He is not a franchise savior like Brees was. He is a piece of the puzzle.

But I do agree that this is a situation the FO is going to have to ask of Brees. If he wants to play another 2-3, fine. I think he can outperform Bridgewater for 2-3 more years. But I think Bridgewater has played well enough that they are going to want Brees to be more concrete about his plans.

This is a good post, even if we disagree a little bit on a few things.

In terms of "he can't win with a bottom 3rd defense" - not many QBs can. Brees had a bunch of .500 seasons when our defense was atrocious and he was surrounded with an absolutely loaded offense. The only QB in recent memory that has dragged a team with a bottom-tier defense to success is Patrick Mahomes. So that's a pretty high bar to put on any QB. The standard of "can be a contender without a defense" is essentially saying a top 2-3 QB in football, which obviously Teddy is not.

But I completely agree that we are not going to pay both QBs starter money, and we're never going to push Brees out the door in favor of Bridgewater (or anyone). So it's more than likely he walks, and probably ends up on a pretty bad team. But I think that contract that has a one and eight zeroes after it will help him sleep well at night. And there are a few teams that need a QB that could be a respectable squad with an above-average QB (Denver, Tampa, Tennessee). Let's hope he goes to one of those, vs. a Cincinnati or Washington.

 

[Madmarsha]

Wow if he thought that little of him he should have said his ceiling was Matt Hassleback

Noice!! TBH, I don't think the Hasselback family GETS irony, though.

 

[MsMSSaintsFan]

Teddy has already proven himself to be a very smart young man. He made a decision last season to turn down Miami and stay here because he could see it was better for him to remain here for much less money than put himself into a situation of more money but crappy team. I think that could very well happen again depending on what teams want to make offers (the Bears being one of those teams if some of the fans have their way). Teddy has to calculate if it is worth going to a much lesser team now for more money or staying here for much less money for a couple of years, then being handed the keys to a SB contending team with the commiserate pay at that time. Smart money says Teddy stays, looking ahead to be in the driver's seat of the Lamborghini rather than settling for a Ford, Toyota, or possibly a Yugo. jmo, I could be dead wrong, but I think Teddy is smart enough to know a good thing when he is grasping it with both hands already. Of course, this is contingent on how how long Drew wants to keep playing.

 

[No2DC]

Teddy has already proven himself to be a very smart young man. Smart money says Teddy stays, looking ahead to be in the driver's seat of the Lamborghini rather than settling for a Ford, Toyota, or possibly a Yugo. jmo, I could be dead wrong, but I think Teddy is smart enough to know a good thing when he is grasping it with both hands already. Of course, this is contingent on how how long Drew wants to keep playing.

This the most difficult part. Most of the great qbs finish with other teams because they want to play longer than they should. Montana, Farve, Manning, etc. Which would you rather have a possibility of a SB or 50 mil + for you and your family? Taking 7 mil. over 50 mil doesn't sound to smart to me. Winning a trophy vs. setting up potential generational wealth.