FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- It will be one of the top storylines for the rest of the preseason: Will Teddy Bridgewater be on the move again?
The New York Jets, comfortable with rookie Sam Darnold and Josh McCown at quarterback, are open to trading the revitalized Bridgewater -- but only if the price is right. They consider him a starting-caliber player, and they won't accept "backup" compensation.
As a result, a true market might not develop unless another team loses its starter to injury -- i.e. the way it did for the Philadelphia Eagles late in the 2016 preseason. They received a first-round pick for Sam Bradford, who went to the Minnesota Vikingsto replace -- wait for it -- Bridgewater.
The Jets would love to flip Bridgewater, whom they signed in March, for a third-round pick or better. If there are no major injuries in the preseason, they can carry him on their 53-man roster, waiting for that opportunity to occur. Remember, the trading deadline isn't until Oct. 30.
Also, keep in mind that his $5 million salary is guaranteed if he's on an opening day roster, and he has a $250,000-per-game bonus for each game in which he plays more than half of the snaps, up to $4 million. So if Bridgewater is a starter for at least 12 games, he will make $9 million.
Right now, the Bridgewater market consists of teams with suspect depth at the position. Possible destinations, with analysis from a league executive and NFL Nation reporters:
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Carolina Panthers
Salary-cap charge of Cam Newton plus Bridgewater: $26.5 million
Why they need him: Much depends on how well Taylor Heinickeand Garrett Gilbert perform the next two weeks. If the Panthers aren't comfortable with either of them as a No. 2 behind Cam Newton, I can see them going after Bridgewater because of Norv Turner's experience with him.
An NFL exec's take: "The issue there is whether they feel Cam [Newton] is indestructible. Still, you can suffer a freak injury, a broken finger or something where you miss a guy. Their backup situation is bad enough to consider it. The connection to Norv makes it interesting."
What they'd send to NYJ: Doubt they would give up more than a third-round pick, though they could have an extra comp pick after losing Andrew Norwell in free agency this offseason. -- David Newton
Dallas Cowboys
Salary-cap charge of Dak Prescott plus Bridgewater: $9.7 million
Why they need him: Cooper Rush has not been as effective in this preseason as he was a year ago, when he won the No. 2 job in training camp as an undrafted free agent. Rookie Mike White has potential, but he hasn't set the world on fire, either. Jerry Jones has said he wants a young backup. Bridgewater is young and has experience.
An NFL exec's take: "Bridgewater's contract should not be a problem for a team like Dallas that probably asks itself, 'Hey, if our guy gets hurt, can we get to the Super Bowl?' So you could see Dallas making sense. That said, if I were a team, I would want to renegotiate the deal before the trade went down."
What they'd send to NYJ: A conditional draft pick of some sort. The Cowboys value their picks and did not give in to Seattle's demands for Earl Thomas during the draft process, so it is difficult to see them giving up a great value for Bridgewater. -- Todd Archer
Denver Broncos
Salary-cap charge of Case Keenum plus Bridgewater: $20 million
Why they need him: Though the Broncos would be far more apt to reel in a player more on the order of Matt Moore, who wouldn't carry the $5 million salary-cap charge Bridgewater's contract would in a trade, the Broncos are still considering the idea of bringing in a veteran to back up Case Keenum. Paxton Lynch, a former first-round pick in 2016, has been bumped down to No. 3 in training camp and his future looks decidedly cloudy with the team. Current No. 2 QB Chad Kelly, has never played in a regular-season game after he spent his rookie year in 2017 on injured reserve.
An NFL exec's take: "I don't think [John] Elway does a deal unless it's too good to pass up. If you look at the lay of the land, he has already fixed the quarterback spot twice. They had a failed No. 1 pick [Lynch] and now they are paying $18 million to Keenum, so they are not going to want to burn a lot of resources."
What they'd send to NYJ: The Broncos have always been conservative in trade talks and Elway has usually held the line, even for a player the team has needed. Earlier this offseason, the Broncos sent two-year starter Trevor Siemian and a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a 2019 fifth-round pick. The Broncos are also facing some dead-money concerns with the $6.83 million cap hit they'll take when they formally release guard Menelik Watson, which will happen in the coming weeks, and they would take another $3.18 million dead-money hit if they release Lynch. So Bridgewater's $5 million cap figure would give them pause because it would be the 11th-highest cap figure on the team. -- Jeff Legwold
Houston Texans
Salary-cap charge of Deshaun Watson plus Bridgewater: $12.1 million
Why they need him: A look at the Texans' record (1-8) after Watson tore his ACL last season shows why it's important for Houston to have a backup quarterback they trust. Though Brandon Weeden knows this offense well because he has spent a lot of time this system, he doesn't have the same style of play as the mobile Watson and would have a hard time replacing him for an extended period of time.
An NFL exec's take: "With key players coming back from injury and Deshaun Watson looking like a star player last year, they can realistically see themselves as a playoff team. That means they need a backup quarterback who can keep them in the playoffs. Their current backup situation is scary. Bridgewater could keep them in a playoff race if Watson were out and their other key guys are healthy."
What they'd send to NYJ: Despite that need, it's hard to see the Texans making a move to trade for a quarterback, including Bridgewater, while Watson is healthy. Houston has had a whole offseason to change its backup quarterback situation and has not done that, outside of adding Joe Webb to the roster. For the Texans to make the move now, the price for Bridgewater would have to be low -- perhaps a draft pick in the later rounds. -- Sarah Barshop
Miami Dolphins
Salary-cap charge of Ryan Tannehill plus Bridgewater: $13.7 million
Why they need him: The Dolphins are rolling with Ryan Tannehill as their 2018 starter, but Bridgewater would represent a significant upgrade over either of the Dolphins' current backups -- Brock Osweiler and David Fales. Bridgewater, a Miami native, would also be a strong insurance policy for Tannehill. Reuniting Bridgewater with his former top receiver at Louisville, DeVante Parker, could be good for both parties.
An NFL exec's take: "Brock Osweiler is probably a middle-of-the-pack backup at this point who could go .500 over a shorter stretch of games if you needed him, which might be good enough. They also seem to like David Fales. I also don't see them as a team that should be expecting to make the playoffs, so the backup situation could be less of a priority."
What they'd send to NYJ: The Dolphins could offer a low-round pick or a rotational player at a position of depth, such as DE Andre Branch, if they were interested in trading for Bridgewater. The Jets and Dolphins would need to be willing to trade within the division for this to happen. Miami was reportedly interested in signing Bridgewater as a free agent in March, but the price was too high. -- Cameron Wolfe
New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap charge of Drew Brees plus Bridgewater: $29 million
Why they need him: Drew Brees turns 40 in January. And the young, developmental backup that the Saints were getting excited about, Taysom Hill, struggled mightily in his first preseason start with two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Not only could Bridgewater be an upgrade over Hill and veteran backup Tom Savage, he could also be a future successor to Brees if he proved to be a good fit in Sean Payton's offense.
What they'd send to NYJ: Here's the catch. It's hard to imagine the Saints giving up a high draft choice and eating up the rest of their salary-cap space for just a one-year deal with Bridgewater after they've never invested heavily in Brees' backups in the past. (If they liked him that much, why not pursue him back in March?) And they already don't have a first-round draft choice in 2019. So maybe they'd consider giving up a Day 3 draft choice if New York was willing to give him up for cheap. But it would make more sense for the Saints to pursue him as a free agent next year. -- Mike Triplett
The New York Jets, comfortable with rookie Sam Darnold and Josh McCown at quarterback, are open to trading the revitalized Bridgewater -- but only if the price is right. They consider him a starting-caliber player, and they won't accept "backup" compensation.
As a result, a true market might not develop unless another team loses its starter to injury -- i.e. the way it did for the Philadelphia Eagles late in the 2016 preseason. They received a first-round pick for Sam Bradford, who went to the Minnesota Vikingsto replace -- wait for it -- Bridgewater.
The Jets would love to flip Bridgewater, whom they signed in March, for a third-round pick or better. If there are no major injuries in the preseason, they can carry him on their 53-man roster, waiting for that opportunity to occur. Remember, the trading deadline isn't until Oct. 30.
Also, keep in mind that his $5 million salary is guaranteed if he's on an opening day roster, and he has a $250,000-per-game bonus for each game in which he plays more than half of the snaps, up to $4 million. So if Bridgewater is a starter for at least 12 games, he will make $9 million.
Right now, the Bridgewater market consists of teams with suspect depth at the position. Possible destinations, with analysis from a league executive and NFL Nation reporters:
<offer style="box-sizing: border-box;"></offer>
Carolina Panthers
Salary-cap charge of Cam Newton plus Bridgewater: $26.5 million
Why they need him: Much depends on how well Taylor Heinickeand Garrett Gilbert perform the next two weeks. If the Panthers aren't comfortable with either of them as a No. 2 behind Cam Newton, I can see them going after Bridgewater because of Norv Turner's experience with him.
An NFL exec's take: "The issue there is whether they feel Cam [Newton] is indestructible. Still, you can suffer a freak injury, a broken finger or something where you miss a guy. Their backup situation is bad enough to consider it. The connection to Norv makes it interesting."
What they'd send to NYJ: Doubt they would give up more than a third-round pick, though they could have an extra comp pick after losing Andrew Norwell in free agency this offseason. -- David Newton
Dallas Cowboys
Salary-cap charge of Dak Prescott plus Bridgewater: $9.7 million
Why they need him: Cooper Rush has not been as effective in this preseason as he was a year ago, when he won the No. 2 job in training camp as an undrafted free agent. Rookie Mike White has potential, but he hasn't set the world on fire, either. Jerry Jones has said he wants a young backup. Bridgewater is young and has experience.
An NFL exec's take: "Bridgewater's contract should not be a problem for a team like Dallas that probably asks itself, 'Hey, if our guy gets hurt, can we get to the Super Bowl?' So you could see Dallas making sense. That said, if I were a team, I would want to renegotiate the deal before the trade went down."
What they'd send to NYJ: A conditional draft pick of some sort. The Cowboys value their picks and did not give in to Seattle's demands for Earl Thomas during the draft process, so it is difficult to see them giving up a great value for Bridgewater. -- Todd Archer
Denver Broncos
Salary-cap charge of Case Keenum plus Bridgewater: $20 million
Why they need him: Though the Broncos would be far more apt to reel in a player more on the order of Matt Moore, who wouldn't carry the $5 million salary-cap charge Bridgewater's contract would in a trade, the Broncos are still considering the idea of bringing in a veteran to back up Case Keenum. Paxton Lynch, a former first-round pick in 2016, has been bumped down to No. 3 in training camp and his future looks decidedly cloudy with the team. Current No. 2 QB Chad Kelly, has never played in a regular-season game after he spent his rookie year in 2017 on injured reserve.
An NFL exec's take: "I don't think [John] Elway does a deal unless it's too good to pass up. If you look at the lay of the land, he has already fixed the quarterback spot twice. They had a failed No. 1 pick [Lynch] and now they are paying $18 million to Keenum, so they are not going to want to burn a lot of resources."
What they'd send to NYJ: The Broncos have always been conservative in trade talks and Elway has usually held the line, even for a player the team has needed. Earlier this offseason, the Broncos sent two-year starter Trevor Siemian and a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a 2019 fifth-round pick. The Broncos are also facing some dead-money concerns with the $6.83 million cap hit they'll take when they formally release guard Menelik Watson, which will happen in the coming weeks, and they would take another $3.18 million dead-money hit if they release Lynch. So Bridgewater's $5 million cap figure would give them pause because it would be the 11th-highest cap figure on the team. -- Jeff Legwold
Houston Texans
Salary-cap charge of Deshaun Watson plus Bridgewater: $12.1 million
Why they need him: A look at the Texans' record (1-8) after Watson tore his ACL last season shows why it's important for Houston to have a backup quarterback they trust. Though Brandon Weeden knows this offense well because he has spent a lot of time this system, he doesn't have the same style of play as the mobile Watson and would have a hard time replacing him for an extended period of time.
An NFL exec's take: "With key players coming back from injury and Deshaun Watson looking like a star player last year, they can realistically see themselves as a playoff team. That means they need a backup quarterback who can keep them in the playoffs. Their current backup situation is scary. Bridgewater could keep them in a playoff race if Watson were out and their other key guys are healthy."
What they'd send to NYJ: Despite that need, it's hard to see the Texans making a move to trade for a quarterback, including Bridgewater, while Watson is healthy. Houston has had a whole offseason to change its backup quarterback situation and has not done that, outside of adding Joe Webb to the roster. For the Texans to make the move now, the price for Bridgewater would have to be low -- perhaps a draft pick in the later rounds. -- Sarah Barshop
Miami Dolphins
Salary-cap charge of Ryan Tannehill plus Bridgewater: $13.7 million
Why they need him: The Dolphins are rolling with Ryan Tannehill as their 2018 starter, but Bridgewater would represent a significant upgrade over either of the Dolphins' current backups -- Brock Osweiler and David Fales. Bridgewater, a Miami native, would also be a strong insurance policy for Tannehill. Reuniting Bridgewater with his former top receiver at Louisville, DeVante Parker, could be good for both parties.
An NFL exec's take: "Brock Osweiler is probably a middle-of-the-pack backup at this point who could go .500 over a shorter stretch of games if you needed him, which might be good enough. They also seem to like David Fales. I also don't see them as a team that should be expecting to make the playoffs, so the backup situation could be less of a priority."
What they'd send to NYJ: The Dolphins could offer a low-round pick or a rotational player at a position of depth, such as DE Andre Branch, if they were interested in trading for Bridgewater. The Jets and Dolphins would need to be willing to trade within the division for this to happen. Miami was reportedly interested in signing Bridgewater as a free agent in March, but the price was too high. -- Cameron Wolfe
New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap charge of Drew Brees plus Bridgewater: $29 million
Why they need him: Drew Brees turns 40 in January. And the young, developmental backup that the Saints were getting excited about, Taysom Hill, struggled mightily in his first preseason start with two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Not only could Bridgewater be an upgrade over Hill and veteran backup Tom Savage, he could also be a future successor to Brees if he proved to be a good fit in Sean Payton's offense.
What they'd send to NYJ: Here's the catch. It's hard to imagine the Saints giving up a high draft choice and eating up the rest of their salary-cap space for just a one-year deal with Bridgewater after they've never invested heavily in Brees' backups in the past. (If they liked him that much, why not pursue him back in March?) And they already don't have a first-round draft choice in 2019. So maybe they'd consider giving up a Day 3 draft choice if New York was willing to give him up for cheap. But it would make more sense for the Saints to pursue him as a free agent next year. -- Mike Triplett
