The Denver Broncos‘ 2021 quarterback will not be Sam Darnold.
Considered by many to be the QB1 of the 2018 NFL Draft, things did not work out for Darnold in New York with the Jets and he has now been shipped off to the Carolina Panthers for three (count ’em three) draft choices.
Two of those draft choices will be in 2022, and one of them is a second-round pick. Not a bad haul for the Jets in case the Panthers are not very good in 2021.
Shoutout to the Panthers’ social media team for the strong reaction to the news:
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 5, 2021
Move it, football head‼️ pic.twitter.com/RXQhDZhz5w
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 5, 2021
The news of Darnold being moved to Carolina is bittersweet for a number of Denver Broncos fans.
Although many are in the camp of either wanting things to work out with Drew Lock or the team drafting someone in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, there were a number of fans who felt like trading for Darnold (and buying low) was the team’s top option available.
The rationale for wanting Darnold was simple. The third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Darnold was dealt a tough hand coming into the NFL and is still only going to be 24 years old this season. He has had flashes of brilliance, including in multiple appearances against the Denver Broncos.
The rationale for not wanting Darnold is equally viable. The Denver Broncos really already have their own version of Darnold — a talented player who has been inconsistent on the field, struggled with injuries, etc. — already on the roster in Drew Lock, who has a year of experience in Pat Shurmur’s offense under his belt.
The question about who the Denver Broncos’ 2021 starting quarterback will be seems to be down to two options — the 2021 NFL Draft or Drew Lock.
So, George Paton? What’s up next? With each passing day, we’re gaining clarity to the “plan” Paton alluded to at a press conference earlier this offseason.
Teddy Bridgewater – a new hedge on the way?
The Carolina Panthers’ acquisition of Sam Darnold puts the writing on the wall for Teddy Bridgewater.
Bridgewater started 15 games for the Panthers in 2020 and had 20 total touchdowns (15 passing, 5 rushing) with a career-high 249 yards per game. Over the course of his last 20 starts (between Carolina and New Orleans, Bridgewater has a combined 24 touchdown passes, 13 interceptions, and a completion percentage hovering around 69 percent.
The Panthers signed Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal in the 2020 offseason with $33 million in guaranteed money. Among those guarantees are $10 million of his 2021 salary ($17 million).
The base price for acquiring Bridgewater is going to be $10 million this season, but that’s a pretty palatable price for a quarterback considering the Broncos’ current situation and budget, provided Bridgewater and the Panthers could figure out a way to get the Broncos off the hook for the other $7 million of Bridgewater’s 2021 salary.
Again, the writing is on the wall for Bridgewater and the Panthers, and they would save less than $3 million in cap space by cutting him outright.
Mike Klis had an interesting idea when it comes to Bridgewater’s financials…
To move Bridgewater, CAR should research how DEN dealt Case Keenum to WAS in 2018.
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) April 5, 2021
Keenum had $7M guar of $18M. DEN paid him $500K restructure bonus and $3.5M of his $7M guar; Washington paid other $3.5M. Keenum wound up w/$7.5M.
Bridgewater has $10M guar of $18M pay. #9sports
Essentially that year, the Washington Football Team was able to double the Broncos’ savings on what would have been had they cut Case Keenum. They ensured Keenum was not going to sign with another team and paid a small price to make it happen.
The Broncos have three seventh-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, and not that those are completely negligible, but throwing a pick at the Panthers to send Bridgewater on a re-worked contract could benefit both parties.
Bridgewater would have a chance to beat Drew Lock for a starting job and George Paton would get another chance to see if a former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings (while Paton was there) could help his team to the playoffs, this time in Denver.
The 2021 NFL Draft
If you are a Denver Broncos fan that is holding out hope for George Paton to go for a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, the field has certainly been weeded out a bit.
As a matter of fact, the road in front of the Denver Broncos to getting one of the top-five quarterbacks has been pretty well paved.
1. Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
2. Jets: Zach Wilson
3. 49ers: Mac Jones/Justin Fields/Trey Lance
4. Falcons: QB or Kyle Pitts
5. Bengals: OT, Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase
6. Dolphins: WR or Kyle Pitts
7. Lions: Non-QB
8. Panthers: Non-QB
Which teams would trade in front of the Denver Broncos at this point? You could argue the New England Patriots (15), Washington Football Team (19), and Chicago Bears (20) as legitimate options to do exactly that.
The tricky part for those teams at this point is finding a trade fit.
The Falcons and Bengals may not want to move down as far as 15 or further, passing on players who could help them right now. The Falcons may want a quarterback themselves.
The Dolphins already moved back up after moving down. They likely have a couple of players (at least three) in mind that they would take at pick six and stay there to do it.
The Lions won’t likely trade with the Bears, but they are undoubtedly a spot at pick seven that should be considered open for business. It would not be shocking for them to move down to 15 or 19.
Barring a bold move up by the Patriots or Washington, it seems the road has been cleared for the Denver Broncos to take the best QB available at pick number nine if that’s what they decide to do.
The question now is — if George Paton likes a guy enough to pick him at nine, does he love him enough to move up and get him a couple of picks earlier?
If not, that obviously bodes well for Drew Lock.
What’s the plan, Paton?
George Paton has been nothing if not patient with his quarterback situation.
I don’t think he’s just been blowing smoke when he has talked about liking what he’s seen from Drew Lock while acknowledging there are areas Lock has to improve.
"We’ve evaluated all the quarterbacks. We like Drew Lock. We have a plan in place and there’s free agency, there’s the draft, there’s trades, there’s a lot of ways to acquire a quarterback. Fortunately, we have a quarterback here and we have a nice quarterback room. We do want to bring in competition. We are not going to force it. We are monitoring the market right now. George Paton (via Broncos PR) on March 18, 2021"
If the Broncos bring in Teddy Bridgewater as a hedge sometime before the 2021 NFL Draft, things will be very interesting because you could read that move a couple of ways.
You could look at it as the Broncos bringing in legitimate competition for Drew Lock, or a legitimate bridge to someone they would draft in 2021.
Paton has been through the quarterback pro day circuit. He’s not getting Zach Wilson, who he saw in person at BYU. He might be able to get one of Trey Lance or Justin Fields. Does he like one of those guys better than Drew Lock?
Does he love one of them?
If he likes one, he might be willing to sit content at pick number nine and let the board fall how it may. If he loves one, he might pay the price to go up and get one.
The feeling right now with three weeks and change before the 2021 NFL Draft has to be that Paton is at the very least intrigued by the incoming rookie class. He could have eliminated that option and possibility already, but he hasn’t.
Could we see Drew Lock and a 2021 first-round pick battling it out in Denver in 2021? Would that be too weird? Could Teddy Bridgewater be holding down the fort for Justin Fields or Trey Lance?
Denver Broncos 7-round mock draft: Sifting through latest rumors
The Denver Broncos and new GM George Paton have assembled a strong foundation. How will they add to the team in the 2021 NFL Draft?
After the Sam Darnold trade, it truly feels like a neck-and-neck race between Lock and the possible options in the 2021 Draft.