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What the Teddy Bridgewater trade means for the Denver Broncos…and the draft

The 2021 NFL draft is mere hours away, but the scenarios keep changing at the top of the board. The latest bit of news to — potentially — impact how the first round plays out comes from the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, having acquired Sam Darnold via a trade with the New York Jets a few weeks ago, have traded last year’s starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos.

The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first with the news, reporting that the Panthers are receiving a sixth-round pick in exchange for Bridgewater. Furthermore, the teams are splitting the salary due the veteran quarterback in the year ahead:

So, what does this mean for all the involved parties, as well as the rest of the league?

The Broncos might...might...have a new starting quarterback

(Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

In a way, this deal is very similar to what the Panthers themselves swung a few weeks ago when they acquired Darnold. Sitting in the eighth spot in the first round, Carolina was in a solid position to draft a quarterback. Until, that is, Kyle Shanahan jumped to the top of the first round when the San Francisco 49ers traded with the Miami Dolphins to slide into the third-overall position. Seeing that, the Panthers took a bit of agency back with the quarterback decision and acquired Darnold via trade. That guaranteed them a young QB on a rookie deal, rather than putting them into a position to either draft the QB that was left at eight, or potentially trading up to do so. The Broncos, sitting one spot behind them at nine, now make a similar move. Sure, they could see a quarterback slide to them, such as Justin Fields, Trey Lance or even Mac Jones, but there was no guarantee of that. Some -- myself included -- thought Denver would need to move up a few spots to draft one of those players. Instead, they can see how the board plays out. In Bridgewater they acquire a veteran passer who gives them an option should they decide to move on, and Bridgewater did flash some positive moments last season under Joe Brady in Carolina: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1308542218387546117 But there were also some mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90eIhtgqC Still, if new general manager George Paton was not sold on Drew Lock -- more on that angle in a second -- and was unsure of what options there could be at nine when the Broncos were on the clock, this gives Denver a solid veteran option who might be in a great position given the weapons in place around the quarterback in Denver.

What does this mean for Drew Lock?

(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

Does this mean the end of Drew Lock's tenure in Denver? Not necessarily. The Broncos were rumored to be in the quarterback market this entire draft cycle, partly due to uncertainty over Lock and how Paton viewed him. John Elway was the driving force behind the Lock selection a few seasons ago but with the Hall of Fame QB taking on a different role with the organization, it was reported that the QB decision was entirely in Paton's hands and that he would view the Lock decision with a clear, unbiased eye. Denver could certainly keep Lock in the mix, and view Bridgewater as a veteran Plan B should the young passer fail to piece it all together in the season ahead. After all, Lock is entering Year Three and the brilliant Bill Walsh viewed that third season as the critical point in a young quarterback's development. If Paton subscribes to that line of thinking, there are reasons for hope. There were moments last year when it looked like Lock was putting it all together, including on one afternoon against these very same Carolina Panthers: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1338557923837009922 But there were also moments like this horrific outing against the Las Vegas Raiders where it seemed like the big breakthrough would never come: https://twitter.com/MarkSchofield/status/1328408896260739073 Now, Paton could still think Lock is a starter in this league and view Bridgewater as a Plan B, offering insurance if Lock fails to come together in 2021. The Bridgewater acquisition could simply be a hedge against Lock, and also allow Denver to go in a different direction in the first round. Or, Bridgewater could be the bridge, a stop-gap option at the position while the Broncos invest in a rookie quarterback. That could free up the organization to move Lock in the next few days. Could he be on the move to teams that could also be in the QB market, such as the New England Patriots or even the Atlanta Falcons? That might be something to watch. It still rests on how Paton views Lock, and I would not read much into the Bridgewater acquisition alone in terms of piecing together that answer. He might still believe in him and Bridgewater is a hedge, or he might be ready to move on from him and the veteran is more of the bridge to a Fields, or a Lance, or a Jones.

What does this mean for the draft?

(Photo by Richard Schultz/NFLPhotoLibrary)

We are just over 24 hours until the Jacksonville Jaguars are officially -- and finally -- on the clock. We know, or at least we think we know, that Trevor Lawrence is the pick there. But what happens next, and how does this move potentially impact the first round? That might come down to, again, how George Paton views Drew Lock. If he still believes in him, and Bridgewater is simply a hedge, then nothing has really changed. The Broncos could still be in the mix for a quarterback in the first round, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that the move "does not take Denver out of the QB market:" https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1387465026735325189 That could be a smokescreen/way to drive up the cost of a team trading up to nine -- or above them -- or it could mean that Paton is ready to move on from Lock and will be looking QB in the first round. If he does move Lock, what are some potential destinations and how could that impact the first round? Atlanta is one. Yes the team restructured Matt Ryan's deal, essentially tying him to the organization for the next two years. But Lock could be a potential QB in the wings, giving him time to learn from Ryan and Arthur Smith while giving Atlanta a QB of the future at what would probably be a cheaper cost than it would trying to draft one a year or two from now. That could free up Atlanta to draft Kyle Pitts at four, rather than trading down to acquire future first-round selections to make the QB acquisition of the future an easier move to make. Of course the New England Patriots are waiting in the wings. Bill Belichick is rumored to be interested in moving up for Justin Fields or another passer in the first round, but if the organization cannot find a way to get up, they could address the QB position via a trade for Lock. Now the organization views Lock is a bit of an unknown, but they did see him up close last season when Lock led the Broncos to a win in Foxborough. His fourth quarter interceptions might play a role into New England's current thinking, however. A dark-horse team to watch? Chicago. Sitting in the 20th spot in the draft it is hard to think the Bears could get up for a rookie, but if Lock is now available, he could be the young passer to add into the mix to learn from Andy Dalton and Matt Nagy. Something to monitor there. Of course, that assumes the Broncos are moving on and taking a quarterback. If, however, Paton is still willing to give Lock the opportunity in Denver, that could mean the Broncos are actually out of the QB game. Meaning one more team is out of the mix for any of the QBs that slide out of the top five. Which could give Denver an opportunity to trade back while a QB-needy team like New England or Chicago comes up to find their guy. So in the end, while this might be the key to unlocking everything Thursday night, it could also mean next to nothing. That's why we watch.

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