New York Jets: Should Teddy Bridgewater be a 2018 trade target?
If Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can prove he’s healthy by the end of 2017, the New York Jets should consider trading for the young quarterback.
The New York Jets have repeatedly said they want to build through the draft. That’s okay, but only to build your foundation. As the Green Bay Packers have shown us, building exclusively through the draft doesn’t work for long-term success in winning championships.
Jets owner Woody Johnson told Ethan Greenberg of NewYorkJets.com prior to the season that they would use free agency and trades “judiciously” and build “mostly through the draft”. The operative word in the final statement is mostly. It’s okay to build the foundation of the team with the draft, but you need to add pieces via free agency and sometimes trades.
The Jets are definitely in the midst of a youth movement, and trading for a young player who’s shown he’s very capable of playing in this league would be a judicious use of trade. Teddy Bridgewater is not only young and capable, but wouldn’t be a huge cap hit.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the Vikings might take Bridgewater off the physically unable to perform list as early as this week. If they choose that option, the Jets scouts should pay close attention to what’s going on in Minnesota. If Bridgewater can show that he’s able to come back from his horrific knee injury, they should consider him as an option for 2018.
Fans may want one of the young quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, but the Jets may win enough games to not land one. Additionally, Bridgewater has already proven he can be successful in this league, and will only be 25 years old going into 2018. So, he’s young enough to make an impact long-term.
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Bridgewater will only have one year left on his contact, and the Jets can draft a quarterback in the middle rounds as an insurance policy. Going to a veteran over a rookie is a better option, and if he’s available, Bridgewater would be a good solution. The next 10 weeks will tell the story, though.