Saints 2019: Offseason priorities, the case for Teddy Bridgewater

Saints and Bridgewater

The feeling of respect between Bridgewater and the Saints is mutual. He has become friendly with the guys in the locker room and they seem to respect his game. Bridgewater for his part seems to be content and wouldn’t mind staying in New Orleans if he was to be a starter in the near future.

But with Brees still at the top of his game, it’s hard to say that’s a possibility. The Saints have already said they’d likely allow him to test the free agency waters. They have little choice.

Re-signing him without knowing his value on the open market would be premature. And I think there is enough respect for him that the Saints would make a small play to keep him were the numbers good but allow him to walk if the numbers don’t work.

The bigger issue for Bridgewater isn’t something he has any control over. It’s the fact that there will be several high profile QBs being dangled as trade bait this offseason.

We begin with Baltimore. The Ravens have their QB of the future in Lamar Jackson, so they will be interested in moving Joe Flacco. We all know Flacco is hot and cold, and more cold than hot. But the market for a true full time starter in the league with great experience and a Super Bowl ring will be at least fairly warm, though his overall body of work isn’t stellar.

The other big name, the biggest, on the market will be Nick Foles. Foles again led the Eagles to the playoffs and to a playoff win before losing to the Saints in the Divisional Round. Foles will be the most coveted QB this off-season as the Eagles plan to ride with Carson Wentz. Foles will also be the target of those same two teams mentioned with Flacco, though it would be exceedingly difficult for the Eagles to allow their hero to perform those heroics in the same division (Redskins). So look strongly for the negotiations to truly be with Jacksonville, though several teams will inquire about his services.

Eli Manning’s name was also bandied around in potential trades. It could be due to the Flacco/Foles factor taking all the good trade bait; it could be Manning’s age (38, compared to Flacco’s 34 and Foles’ 30); or it could simply be that the Giants still have a good deal of confidence in Manning. But it seems that Manning will remain in New York though this season. His contract is up in 2019, so it seems the Giants would need to make a strong playoff push to want to keep Manning past this current deal.

All these factors play into the Bridgewater deal. If he is to leave, he’s going to want a great opportunity to start. While Jacksonville and the Redskins provide the best opportunities, one of them will likely have Foles, leaving the other to ponder Flacco’s true value. Where would that leave Bridgewater to go?