Well, Broncos Country, we have our answer. Teddy Bridgewater is the starter of the 2021 Denver Broncos. What does that mean for Drew Lock?
I am incredibly disappointed in the decision to name Teddy Bridgewater the starter of the Denver Broncos, and this decision, in my opinion, all but ends the Drew Lock era in Denver.
If that is the case, the Broncos messed up not giving Lock this season to prove himself. He’s started just 18 games, and the team has apparently said enough is enough.
I truly don’t see a scenario where the team decides to go back to Lock during the season. It’s very likely that Teddy Bridgewater plays just barely good enough to warrant keeping him as the starter, and unless he gets hurt, Lock will just ride the bench at Mile High.
If this is the organization’s view, then they might want to trade Drew Lock and get some draft capital in return.
I personally wouldn’t trade him, but with today’s announcement, it’s gotten more likely.
So where might Drew Lock end up if the team decides to move on?
Denver Broncos Trade Destinations for Drew Lock
1. Detroit Lions
I can see Lock on the Detroit Lions. I think Jared Goff is terrible, and frankly, it may do Lock some good to sit behind Goff as the main backup.
I’m not sure what the Lions think of Goff, as the only reason they acquired him is that Matthew Stafford wanted to go to the Rams.
If Lock were to sit behind Goff during the 2021 season, he could realistically begin to learn their offense, and perhaps challenge Goff during the 2022 offseason for the starting position.
The Lions have holes on offense, specifically wide receiver, and they’ll probably add to that eventually.
Moreover, the Lions actually have a decent offensive line, so if Lock were to start, he’d have good protection. Taylor Decker is their left tackle, and they added former Oregon start Penei Sewell at right tackle.
They already had a good interior offensive line, and one of the best things you can do for a young quarterback is playing them behind a good offensive line.
Drew Lock, if we got the chance to start, would at least have time to throw.
Plus, acquiring Lock won’t cost that much as of now, so the Lions may feel it’s a worthwhile gamble. He also has two more years left on his rookie deal, so they may feel incentivized to make the trade ASAP.
2. Washington Football Team
Ryan Fitzpatrick stinks, people, regardless of what you think about his beard or his personality.
He’s also obviously not the long-term answer, and I’m not sure Taylor Heinicke is either, even though they gave him an extension this offseason.
In comes Drew Lock, who would easily pass Heinicke on the depth chart during the season and slide in as “Fitzmagics” backup.
Washington is a team trending up, and they will be looking for more long-term quarterback options for the future. With an already deadly defense and an offense with young playmakers, the Washington Football team has a very similar roster makeup to the Broncos.
And that might be the perfect scenario for Drew Lock.
Again, Lock being able to sit for a year and learn Washington’s offense from Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is insanely smart might be the best thing for the former Missouri product.
I would hardly call Joe Flacco a mentor, so Lock hasn’t really had that luxury, plus Ryan Fitzpatrick was embracing that role with Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins last season.
Perhaps since both Fitzpatrick and Lock have a gunslinger mentality, they would develop a meaningful working relationship.
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons went with Kyle Pitts at 4th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, passing up a potential successor for Matt Ryan.
The writing is on the wall for Ryan’s departure from the ATL. There were rumors about a potential Ryan trade during this offseason, and we see that the Falcons already traded Julio Jones.
Matt Ryan has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL since he came into the league and had Matt Schaub as his backup every year since 2016.
Perhaps Matt Ryan would love to take Drew Lock under his wings a bit, seeing as he hasn’t had a young guy behind him for a while.
Since Matt Ryan is on his way out and seeing as he and the Falcons appear to have a very good relationship, perhaps Matty Ice would be open to doing a bit of mentoring with Drew Lock.
I think the Falcons move on from Matt Ryan in two seasons, so Drew Lock may be out of favor in Atlanta by then, but with a new regime, the Falcons might see value in moving Matt Ryan after this year and turning to Drew Lock.
Plus, if the Falcons don’t do much this year, they may ultimately decide to undergo a full rebuild, mainly on defense, so the team would probably want to reset at quarterback, considering they’d move off of Ryan if they were to rebuild.
The Falcons have invested a lot of draft capital into their offensive line, and they have a very nice duo of Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts, so Drew Lock would have weapons at his disposal.
Denver Broncos: Why Vic Fangio screwed up the QB decision, big time
Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has announced that Theodore Edmond Bridgewater, Jr. is the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos.
At the very least, Lock would be a very nice backup for Atlanta, and seeing as Arthur Smith, the Falcons head coach, was able to revive Ryan Tannehill’s career, perhaps he sees the same situation with Drew Lock.