Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater signed a big deal with the Panthers last season, and one year is all it took for the team to move on. He was traded to Denver, where he competed with Drew Lock for the starting job, an assignment ultimately handed to Bridgewater, who led the league with five red-zone turnovers and went 0-8 last year when Carolina had the chance to tie or take the lead on the final possession. Fortunately for him - unfortunately for the Broncos - Lock had a worse season, ranking near the bottom in nearly every passing category. With a solid defense, good offensive line and improving skill players, the Broncos opted for a game-manager QB to make a run at the playoffs. In the process, Bridgewater will have plenty of weapons to target, including young wideouts Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.

After backing up Drew Brees in New Orleans for two years, Bridgewater is off to Carolina with a three-year, $63 million contract ($33 million guaranteed). Bridgewater went 5-0 starting for an injured Brees last season, completing 69.7 percent of his passes in those games with nine TDs and two interceptions. Like his mentor, he benefited from a short passing game that emphasized quick slants and the like, rarely asking him to challenge defenses deep - just 13 passes longer than 20 yards, 6.6 percent of his 196 attempts. Bridgewater's bad-pass percentage was 14.3, third lowest in the league among QBs with at least 175 attempts (Brees was first at 14.0), but his average depth of target was a mere 6.0 yards, lowest in the NFL. The Panthers are sure to ask more of Bridgewater, especially considering their weapons. Third-year WR D.J. Moore is coming off a breakout season, Curtis Samuel has 4.31 speed and the team signed another speedy wideout in Robby Anderson. And then, of course, there's Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield. Bridgewater will be reunited with Joe Brady, Carolina's offensive coordinator who was an offensive assistant in New Orleans in 2018. Last season, Brady was the passing game coordinator for national collegiate champion LSU, which no one would confuse with a dink-and-dunk offense. And new head coach Matt Rhule remade an offensive line that gave up a league-high 58 sacks last year, acquiring Russell Okung, John Miller and Michael Schofield, upgrades all. Bridgewater better warm up his arm.

The severe non-contact knee injury that Bridgewater suffered during training camp in 2016 effectively ended his tenure as the Vikings' starting quarterback, but he's since re-emerged as one of the NFL's more well-regarded backups. As a first-time free agent in 2018, Bridgewater settled for a one-year deal with the Jets, who dealt him to the Saints at the end of the preseason after drafting franchise quarterback Sam Darnold. With the durable Drew Brees overseeing another productive New Orleans offense, Bridgewater didn't see any extended action until Week 17 against Carolina. Starting that game for a resting Brees, Bridgewater completed 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and an interception while working almost exclusively with backup players. Bridgewater drew plenty of interest upon hitting the open market again this past offseason, but ultimately passed up a potential starting opportunity in Miami to re-sign with the Saints. He'll again rank as little more than a quality insurance option behind Brees, but another year under Sean Payton's tutelage could make Bridgewater the frontrunner to succeed Brees if the 40-year-old calls it quits after the season.

Concerns about Bridgewater's left knee are largely overblown at this stage, as it was surgically repaired back in 2016 and he was subsequently able to get into game action for the Vikings last season. He came to the Jets on a one-year, prove-it deal this past offseason, but earning playing time will be a challenge with veteran Josh McCown and third overall pick Sam Darnold on hand at the quarterback position. While McCown's 2017 success suggests New York's offense has the pieces to support a fantasy-relevant quarterback, winning the starting job won't be easy for Bridgewater. If he does end up atop the depth chart and is able to stay there, the former Vikings signal-caller should eclipse his 2015 career highs of 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns.

A severe, non-contact knee injury during a late-August practice ended Bridgewater's third-year campaign before it even started after a torn left ACL was revealed. Initially thought to be career-threatening, the 2014 first-rounder underwent surgery to repair the discouraging damage, while the Vikings were forced to trade their 2017 first-round pick for Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford in order to deploy a competent leader at the helm. Unfortunately for Bridgewater, the Vikings elected not to exercise his fifth-year option this offseason due to obvious health concerns, especially after Bradford set a new NFL record by by completing 71.6 percent of his passes in 2016. With Bridgewater's potential availability for the upcoming season still up in the air, Bradford heads into camp as the expected starter for a second straight year, with newcomer Case Keenum and Taylor Heinicke providing quality depth.

The second verse was nearly the same as the first for Bridgewater, as his sophomore season in the NFL once again produced disappointing passing numbers. His smallish frame and lack of plus arm strength prevent him from challenging defenses down the field, and his 51.4 QB rating on passes longer than 15 yards was only better than Brock Osweiler's. What Bridgewater does have is the footwork and mechanics to deliver a quick, accurate throw on shorter routes. He also does a good job of reading defenses and limiting mistakes, and while he's not a big scrambler he can extend plays with his feet. He also has an improving supporting cast. Stefon Diggs emerged last yearns a solid deep threat, and the Vikings then used a first-round pick on Laquon Treadwell to give Bridgewater a big, physical receiving option - a move that can only help to improve his red zone numbers after his 55 passes in the area ranked last among QBs who played in all 16 games last season. As long as Adrian Peterson is the focal point of the Vikings' offense, though, Bridgewater will have to be content serving as the caretaker rather than the primary weapon.

The 32nd pick in last year's draft, Bridgewater became the starter earlier than expected when Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending broken foot in Week 3. He put together a promising rookie campaign despite struggling early. In his first six starts, Bridgewater, who missed Week 5 with a sprained ankle, posted 6.48 YPA and a 4:6 TD:INT ratio with no more than one touchdown in any game. But in his final six games, he had 10 touchdowns to just six interceptions, completing 68.9 percent of his passes for 8.13 YPA. One of the big knocks on Bridgewater out of college was his downfield accuracy, primarily due to a low release point and poor footwork. However, he showed significant improvement throughout the season, largely because of proper weight transfer to the front foot. Not only should improved mechanics help his deep ball this season, but Bridgewater now has an excellent downfield threat to target after the Vikings traded for Mike Wallace in March. Pairing Wallace with Charles Johnson, whom offensive coordinator Norv Turner called the team's best receiver last year, and the explosive Cordarrelle Patterson (provided he learns the playbook) gives the Vikings a more than competent receiving corps. Bridgewater also has reliable check-down options in the athletic Jerick McKinnon and 6-6 tight end Kyle Rudolph. And with Adrian Peterson returning, Bridgewater should have a lot less pressure on his shoulders to carry the team.

It wasn't long ago that Bridgewater appeared to be a top-five lock, but a poor pro day showing and concerns over his size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) pushed him all the way to the 32nd pick, where Minnesota traded up to grab him. He's in line to open the season as Matt Cassel's backup, but Bridgewater's advanced development with progressions, blitz adjustment, mechanics and pocket presence mean that the below-average Cassel shouldn't be able to hold him off for long. In a Norv Turner offense with a strong running game, Bridgewater could throw with surprising efficiency if he sees the field. He threw 72 touchdowns compared to 24 interceptions in three seasons at Louisville.