Bridgewater’s departure leaves New Orleans Saints scratching their heads

By the time this article is posted, it will likely be official: New Orleans Saints’ darling, Teddy Bridgewater, has departed Canal Street for Charlotte.

The news comes off a wild few minutes, where most fans learned that Bridgewater had departed and Cam Newton had been “given permission” to seek a trade all at once. It’s been a hectic few days for Bridgewater and the New Orleans Saints.

The temptation to picture Cam Newton in a Saints uniform was, at least to this writer, immediate. Taysom Hill likely isn’t going anywhere after being tapped with a first-round tender; to most fanbases, Hill alone is a blessing at backup.

But, Hill’s success has been largely unorthodox, and placing him at the helm of the franchise in a year or two is a gigantanormous gamble.

Payton is as infatuated with Hill as most Saints’ fans are, and so now, one of the most looming questions heading into the remainder and free agency will be how strong Payton’s faith in Hill really is.

Will the team look to add another backup to carry the franchise when Drew Brees inevitably retires?

More help at the quarterback position is absolutely, immediately needed. When the Saint’s traded for Teddy Bridgewater, the move was viewed, forgettably, more as “Super Bowl insurance” rather than a long-term investment in the team’s future.

Whether or not insurance was the true intention, Bridgewater has forever carved his name into Saint’s lore after leading the team to five straight wins amid Drew Brees’ thumb injury.

The team doesn’t need to sign a superstar or even a former superstar; they just need someone who can step in and perform at a level that is on par with the Saint’s elite offense should Drew Brees go down, once again mid-season (or worse: mid-playoffs).

Taysom Hill has proven that his dynamic skillset can ignite Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara in crunch time. But do Saint’s fans really want to place the fate of this season, if it comes down to it, in the hands of the unexperienced Hill?

Watch for the Saints to make another “insurance” move this offseason at the quarterback, likely before the draft.

Might they make a play for the aging, but still talented, Newton? Or will the team settle for a cheaper option, like Jameis Winston or Nick Foles?