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Teddy Bridgewater’s future debated in ESPN round table

By Adam Carlson

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was forced into a starting role after an injury to former Pro Bowl passer Matt Cassel.  Despite early struggles and more interceptions than fans expected, Bridgewater finished the season with a very impressive string of games that encouraged fans to be excited about his future with the team.

And while excitement among the fan base is great, it’s also interesting to note how other teams and reporters see the development of Teddy Bridgewater coming along.  Will they share the same kind of optimism that fans seem to have?  Or will they be more critical and hesitant to say that Bridgewater could be the real deal?

Recently, ESPN’s Ben Goessling posed this question to three writers for teams in the NFC North:

"“Do you buy the idea that Bridgewater will emerge in 2015, or do you think he’ll struggle after going 1-4 against division opponents last year?”"

Nov 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) greets Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) following the game at TCF Bank Stadium. The Packers defeated the Vikings 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Here is how they replied:

Rob Demovsky answered the question on the behalf of the Green Bay Packers.  He isn’t confident that Bridgewater will be anything more than an average quarterback in the NFL at best.  He saw a player that was “far too inaccurate and showed little or no ability to connect with his receivers down the field” during the game against the Packers in Minneapolis last year.  And although he expects a better performance from Teddy Bridgewater this year, he finished his statement by saying that “if you’re banking on him becoming Aaron Rodgers or even Matthew Stafford, that’s probably false hope.”

Focus then shifted over to Chicago Bears representative Jeff Dickerson.  While Dickerson is still a bit skeptical about Teddy Bridgewater’s arm strength, he was encouraged by what he saw from the young passer to close out the 2014 season.  He sees the young quarterback making a jump during his sophomore season because “Bridgewater seems to understand what is expected of him at the position.”

Finally, Michael Rothstein in Detroit replied for the Lions.  He says the major factor in Bridgewater making a significant leap during his second season “could depend on the availability and productiveness of Adrian Peterson.” With use of the weapons around him, he sees good things coming from the quarterback this year. “As long as Bridgewater has the right group of players around him, he should be in a position to become a top 15-ish quarterback in the NFL by the end of the year.”

What do you guys think?  Do you believe that Teddy Bridgewater will take a significant step in his development during his second NFL season?  Or do you think we’ll see a conservative player who struggles to push the ball down the field?  Let me know in the comments below.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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