Teddy Bridgewater is impressing early. The quarterback was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round in hopes that he can bring some long-term stability to the offense for years to come. While general manager Rick Spielman downplayed the idea that the team would once again start a rookie quarterback, having learned their mistake with Christian Ponder, Bridgewater might be doing enough to change his mind.
Of course it is too early to name Bridgewater the future of the Vikings, but it is never too early to speculate on things. The Vikings held their rookie minicamp over the weekend and walked away satisfied with what they saw from the quarterback early. Head coach Mike Zimmer noted that he loved what he saw from the quarterback during brief weekend workouts and he expects Bridgewater to get first-team reps when every reports for OTAs at the end of the month.
"[Bridgewater] is throwing the ball good," Zimmer said, via Minnesota Star Tribune. "I think he's got a good presence, a good command of the way he's taking things. It was good for him to be out here with the veteran quarterbacks a little bit last week for a few days."
At the moment, Bridgewater is listed at No. 3 on the quarterback depth chart behind veteran Matt Cassel and former first-round pick Christian Ponder. Cassel has been the assumed starter even before the NFL Draft simply because he was a veteran and proved he can handle the spotlight. The Vikings tried to start a rookie once before and that failed, leaving many to believe that team would allow whoever they drafted to develop for a year. However, according to Zimmer, Bridgewater is already grasping Norv Turner's offense well and leading the team with ease.
"It's not like, 'Hey, I'm throwing an out now,' " Zimmer said. "He would say the whole formation, the whole play, what it's on and go from there, just repeat it as he goes. That was impressive."
Bridgewater downplayed the idea that he would be the team's starting quarterback come the fall. The rookie covered all of his bases noting that he was simply excited to learn from two quarterbacks who have been in the league for a few years and have plenty of experience to help him along.
"Matt and Christian have been here for a while now, and those guys have been taking me under their wing and teaching me from a field standpoint and a film standpoint," Bridgewater said.
If Bridgewater develops well, the future of Ponder will no longer include the Vikings. After getting nothing in return for a trade of the quarterback, Ponder is destined for free agency in the offseason if he is unable to get a foot on the field this year.
