Washington Football Team: Adding Teddy Bridgewater would be redundant

The Carolina Panthers made a splash on the trade market when they traded for New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. The Panthers spent three draft picks including a second-round selection in 2022 to acquire the 23-year-old reclamation project.

While it was initially expected that Darnold would compete with Teddy Bridgewater for playing time, it became clear shortly after the trade that Darnold is expected to be the team’s starter. That leaves Bridgewater as the odd man out.

Strangely enough, it also leaves him as the best readily available veteran on the quarterback market. A handful of teams will have an interest in targeting him, as he was a solid starter for the team last year. He just apparently fell out of favor with the Panthers in just one short year.

So, with Bridgewater available, that begs a couple of questions. Will the Washington Football Team be interested in Bridgewater? And should they be interested in him?

NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay answered the first question. It doesn’t appear that Washington is going to be interested in acquiring Bridgewater because of what they already have at the quarterback spot.

So, will they target Bridgewater? It doesn’t look like it, even despite the fact that current Washington executive Marty Hurney was the one that added Bridgewater to the mix for the Panthers in 2020.

Should the Washington Football Team target Teddy Bridgewater?

This question is an interesting debate, as Bridgewater fits the mold of what Washington found success with at quarterback last year. He was largely a steady, accurate ball mover for Carolina. He didn’t make a lot of flashy plays and he did struggle with turnovers late in the year, but overall, he was pretty solid.

Bridgewater is also still just 28 years old, so he has plenty left in the tank for his NFL career.

That said, Washington doesn’t need another veteran quarterback. They already have Ryan Fitzpatrick at their disposal. The two have different skillsets — Fitzpatrick tends to take more downfield chances while Bridgewater focuses on finding the open man wherever he may be — but in terms of the role they’d play in Washington, it would be the same.

Washington is looking for one of two things: A long-term franchise quarterback or a stopgap. Fitzpatrick is a stopgap. Bridgewater would be as well. Would he be a better one? It’s possible, especially since he does have a bit of untapped potential remaining. That said, he’d also be a more expensive one, as he’s on a three-year deal worth $21 million annually.

At this point, it would seem that Washington is better off rolling with Fitzpatrick and their young quarterbacks, as they’re wont to do, per Finlay. If Bridgewater and Fitzpatrick were available at the same time during the offseason, then making the case for Teddy B would be doable.

But with Fitzpatrick already on the roster, adding Bridgewater would be redundant. He’d provide another veteran, but his upside would pale in comparison to that of Allen, Heinicke, and whatever quarterback Washington could add in the draft would possess.

If Washington acquires Bridgewater, it won’t be a bad move since he can be a capable starter. But given their roster construction compared to the cost of Bridgewater’s deal, trading for him wouldn’t be worth it.

And even if he’s cut, Washington is better off sticking with what they have and saving their money to upgrade other positions.

It’s best not to invest too much in half-measures and stopgaps. Give Fitzpatrick and the young guys a chance and see what they can do. If none pan out, then the team will be positioned to land a true upgrade at the quarterback spot in 2022.