If Bridgewater has a good showing this season...(an exercise in critical thinking and problem solving)

[MHS831]

Bridgewater is only 28.  Some say that he is injury prone, because he had an injury.  A nasty one---but Bridgewater is much more cerebral that athletic. Build the OL instead of worrying about the durability of your QB.

Let's say we go 3-13 but Bridgewater is solid--the defense simply surrenders 30 pts a game and cant get off the field.   Bridgewater ends the season with 20 TDs, 7 picks, and completes nearly 70% of his passes.  We draft first or second overall.  Do you still take Fields if Lawrence is gone?

Bridgewater will be 28 next season, and with a strong line, he could play another 6-8 seasons at that level.  He has a good rapport with the team.  How do you replace him?

All that to ask:  What do you do if a top QB is there when we pick if TB has a good season?

On the other hand there is, Bridgewater's contract:  He is relatively cheap this season, but next year his cap hit increases nearly $10m.  In year three, his cap hit is only $5m.  So this deal has an escape clause.

Option A:  Extend Bridgewater another 2 years---his year 2 cap is already going up $9.x million--might as well extend him to avoid a mess in the final year.  TRADE the draft pick for 2-3 first round picks in 2021 and 2022.  Draft an OT and a C early in 2021.  Draft a top TE and CB early.  Continue to work with the young backup QBs for depth.

Option B:  Take the best available top 2 or 3 QB and have a competition, eventually resulting in a trade of Bridgewater (if the pick shows promise).  Maybe allow the rookie to sit for a season, and play Bridgewater with the intent to trade him.  However, approaching 30 by that time, he is unlikely to bring in as much trade value as the picks in option A might.  Understand that the rookie QB is not a guaranteed commodity.  He could bust or be the next great thing.

Option C:  (If we have a very early pick) Trade back a few spots and  still take one of the top 3 QBs.  I love Lance from NDSU, but the level of competition makes it tough to gauge how effective he would have been at a major SEC school---but then you have to ask, "Would Lamar Jackson or Mahomes have done better at age 19?  I think if you could add a high second rounder or late first rounder, slide

My favorite QBs in the 2021 draft in order:

• Lawrence, Clemson.  I think you have to take him if he is on the board.
• Lance, North Dakota State.  42 TDs, 0 (zero) Int.  Can run and is deadly accurate. 
• Fields, Ohio State.  Good numbers, running qb--I am not confident that he is as good in the NFL as he is in college. He too has low int totals.

 

 

So instead of "Tanking for Trevor"--we should hope that Bridgewater plays well.  Then build the OL--for real this time, Marty.  Good draft for OL.

[mrcompletely11]

70% completion rate?  Come on man.

 

I would bet just about anything that with Teddys history, lack of playing a ton of games and our oline that he misses some significant time this season.  I just dont think anyone even within the organization see him as a long term solution for a myriad of reasons.

[trueblade]

2 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Do you still take Fields or Lawrence?

I know I'll probably get accused of having orange colored classes on, but If Trevor Lawrence is there, you don't pass on him. He's one of the highest rated QBs to come out since Luck. A guy like that doesn't come along every year. You don't pass of talent of that magnitude. You don't want 'solid'. You want championship level. That's Lawrence.

Fields or Lance isn't the same conversation. All options are on the table once Trevor's name is called by Jacksonville. But if by some crazy chance he's available, you run to the podium with his name.

[MHS831]

meant to say nearly 70%.  They are short passes, for the most part, as one might expect.  Drew Brees had over 74% one year.  Derek Carr surpassed 70% too.  If Derek Carr can do it, are you saying Bridgewater cannot?  In 2019 he completed 68%. 

 

[MHS831]

2 minutes ago, trueblade said:

I know I'll probably get accused of having orange colored classes on, but If Trevor Lawrence is there, you don't pass on him. He's one of the highest rated QBs to come out since Luck. A guy like that doesn't come along every year. You don't pass of talent of that magnitude. You don't want 'solid'. You want championship level. That's Lawrence.

Fields or Lance isn't the same conversation. All options are on the table once Trevor's name is called by Jacksonville. But if by some crazy chance he's available, you run to the podium with his name.

I said that too, so I changed it--read the edited version..  If he is not there, do you take Fields?

 

[mrcompletely11]

1 minute ago, trueblade said:

I know I'll probably get accused of having orange colored classes on, but If Trevor Lawrence is there, you don't pass on him. He's one of the highest rated QBs to come out since Luck. A guy like that doesn't come along every year. You don't pass of talent of that magnitude. You don't want 'solid'. You want championship level. That's Lawrence.

Fields or Lance isn't the same conversation. All options are on the table once Trevor's name is called by Jacksonville. But if by some crazy chance he's available, you run to the podium with his name.

I think Minshew has them winning more games than predicted.

 

I have watched 90% of TL's games and he is absolutely the real deal.  His ability to lead, make every throw and more importantly his ability to read defenses are all top shelf.  Then add in his athleticism and its a no brainer.

 

I liked what I saw from Fields the couple of games or so I checked but I need to see more.  I havent seen anything other than highlights from Lance but he does seem uber athletic in the mold of a mobile qb.

[jfra78]

If Teddy plays well and Lawrence and Fields are off the board, I think we should pass on Lance and focus on OL Corners and MLB in the off season.  

[jfra78]

Do we really know that Lance will come out after only playing as a freshman? 

[bababoey]

You could go a lot further down the rabbit hole than that.  Let's say Teddy throws for 3600 - 3800 yard, completes 65% and throw 25 TD to 10 int.  Not bad numbers and if the Oline plays just average, very realistic numbers.  But we only win 4 games because the defense sucks so bad.

What to do then?

If we have a top 5 pick and 1 or 2 of the QB's are still there do you 1) take one of them 2) trade down and get a king's ransom 3) take the best position player like the LT from Oregon?

[trueblade]

3 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I said that too, so I changed it--read the edited version..  If he is not there, do you take Fields?

 

If Teddy was solid and TL gone, I'd look at the best impact position like CB, OT. I'd also think about getting a haul from a team that fell in love with Fields or Lance and grab CB/OT/Center. Regardless, Center is a position we have to address next offseason.

[MHS831]

4 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

I think Minshew has them winning more games than predicted.

 

I have watched 90% of TL's games and he is absolutely the real deal.  His ability to lead, make every throw and more importantly his ability to read defenses are all top shelf.  Then add in his athleticism and its a no brainer.

 

I liked what I saw from Fields the couple of games or so I checked but I need to see more.  I havent seen anything other than highlights from Lance but he does seem uber athletic in the mold of a mobile qb.

Lawrence is the only QB in this draft who is a no brainer, but I am going to watch Newman carefully to see how he does at UGA.  42 completions and 0 interceptions behind the numbers Lance put up is hard to argue---but I keep thinking , "RGIII" and need to get that out of my head.

 

[onmyown]

The team is young and rebuilding. Teddy is not a rookie. If he is worth hanging on to, and even more extending, we shouldn’t have a chance to draft a top QB.

If for some reason we do, having a top pick is rare if you’re not the Browns and it would be foolish to not use it because of anything TB does.

[MHS831]

6 minutes ago, jfra78 said:

If Teddy plays well and Lawrence and Fields are off the board, I think we should pass on Lance and focus on OL Corners and MLB in the off season.  

MLB is going to be huge---I guess it comes down to this question (based on a few responses):  Would you pass on Fields and go OL /MLB/CB if Teddy plays well?

I looked at the draft and I like the T and C choices--I have not researched the CBs well enough to know squat about them.  but MLB is going to be revealed to be a weakness this season and we could end the season with MLB as the biggest need.

[mrcompletely11]

2 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Lawrence is the only QB in this draft who is a no brainer, but I am going to watch Newman carefully to see how he does at UGA.  42 completions and 0 interceptions behind the numbers Lance put up is hard to argue---but I keep thinking , "RGIII" and need to get that out of my head.

 

I am probably in the minority in this thinking, but I think RG3 would have had a completely different career if that dummy knew how to slide and/or avoid taking monster hits.

 

Also it appears Lance is way thicker than RG3