Zimmer: Teddy Bridgewater needs to refine mechanics

[Mothman]

I'm definitely geeked about the Sparano hire for the reason Mondry highlighted. The guy seems to have an eye for talent in the trenches. Which literally makes him the only guy in the building, IMO.
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I found it very telling the article commented on Zimmer openly questioning whether he was involved enough on offense. That fact that he questioned it himself suggest to me that Norv has been the offensive head coach to some degree...rather than coordinator.
I'm hoping Shurmur will be a boon for the TB/Norv relationship in some form or another.
And I definitely agree that it's time to get serious about bringing in another quality QB. Not so much because there are questions marks about TB, and there are, IMO, but this team has shown that it's good enough to need another guy who can come in and win games if TB should get injured. Just like McCarron, Osweiler, Cousins, etc....
If they continue to be blase about depth at QB and O-line....they'll continue paying for it.

Well said!

[The Breeze]

Spielman was a huge Ponder advocate! I mean he was the first QB Spielman got to pick on his own. And if the rumors about Minny wanting to move up for Manziel and Norv bangin the table for TB are true...I don't know how or what to think about Spielmans eye for QBs. I think Manziel is super talented and god knows nobody wants to play for the Browns...so, it may have played out differently had he come to the Vikes.
But I feel confident saying that Zimmer has been a huge influence in the draft and even bringing in a guy like Joseph. I'm not sold on Spielman as a talent evaluator...but there are some things he does quite well as GM. He and Zimmer seem like a good match.

[The Breeze]

grr

[mondry]

Well said!

Yeah, Shurmur's opinion could factor in there, even though he's the TE's coach he's had a nice track record with young QB's. Hill is nothing to bother with, I'm pretty sure Norv had to bang the table pretty hard for him (if I'm remembering right) because Zimmer wasn't sold on the idea. The more I think about it the more I feel like Norv's rope might be tightening quite a bit.

Personally I don't like the idea of mediocre veteran's as the backup QB. I'd rather have a young guy with some upside because realistically if Teddy's your guy and he goes down, how likely is it that a Shaun Hill keeps your superbowl run going? Maybe it's just me but I'd rather the #2 QB be like a 3rd round pick and just develop 2 QB's (him and Teddy) at the same time. That way if Teddy some how isn't the guy, you're not starting over another 3+ year long development process. If he gets hurt then you have another talented QB, if he doesn't then worst case scenario (aside from the guy busting) is that Teddy works out and you trade him for a first rounder to some team like the 49er's.

[The Breeze]

@Mondry
I've expressed this before in convos with Jim about the backup position.
I actually like having the journeyman vet for the first 2-3 years while your hopeful learns the game. Having two guys real close in age before one is established could be more problematic than not. Plus the draft pick can learn tons of stuff from a vet, even one the likes of Hill.
Now that TB is established they can draft a guy who learns from Teddy. I don't think they are in an ideal situation, because I'm not sure this offense is a good fit for Teddy. But ideally a new draft pick has some similar skills and learns from the coaches and the guy who is currently playing well in the scheme/system. Don't make the mistake of drafting another 'Joe Webb' who doesn't fit your system.

[Mothman]

Yeah, Shurmur's opinion could factor in there, even though he's the TE's coach he's had a nice track record with young QB's. Hill is nothing to bother with, I'm pretty sure Norv had to bang the table pretty hard for him (if I'm remembering right) because Zimmer wasn't sold on the idea.

Man, if they keep Norv much longer they may need to get some new tables.

Personally I don't like the idea of mediocre veteran's as the backup QB. I'd rather have a young guy with some upside because realistically if Teddy's your guy and he goes down, how likely is it that a Shaun Hill keeps your superbowl run going? Maybe it's just me but I'd rather the #2 QB be like a 3rd round pick and just develop 2 QB's (him and Teddy) at the same time. That way if Teddy some how isn't the guy, you're not starting over another 3+ year long development process. If he gets hurt then you have another talented QB, if he doesn't then worst case scenario (aside from the guy busting) is that Teddy works out and you trade him for a first rounder to some team like the 49er's.

I feel basically the same way.

[Purple bruise]

Just to be clear, I wrote "the same sort of things". I wasn't suggesting he said the exact same things.
I recall Spielman citing some specifics about Ponder's game, work ethic, etc. in an interview that I think was posted on KFAN's site but I can't find it now and it looks like they don't maintain an online archive of articles that goes that far back. However, here's an example similar to the "“And I know our team and our coaches and myself really believe this kid is really going to be something special down the road here" comment about Bridgewater above:

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-gm-b ... 179319781/
He must have made similar statements at least half a dozen times during those relatively rare occasions when he addressed the media. There's no doubt that, at one point, he was fully backing Ponder, just as he's fully backing Bridgewater.

It's not that relevant anyway, He's naturally going to back these young QBs when the organization is still counting on them.

Those comments were not being made going into his 3rd year like Teddy, I strongly doubt. Rather right after drafting Ponder, I would suspect. Ponder had already gotten destroyed with the same type of atrocious line blocking for him by his third year with several injuries.

[Mothman]

Those comments were not being made going into his 3rd year like Teddy, I strongly doubt. Rather right after drafting Ponder, I would suspect.

If you were going to ask me to dig up a link it would have been nice of you to actually follow it. If you had, you wouldn't have had to make false assumptions like those above.

The statement was made well into the 2012 season (the article is from November 14, 2012).

He was still saying Ponder had a bright future in 2013.

More of another little dig about the QB that I like and have faith in and many others...not so much.

No, just the truth (and please remember, I liked Christian Ponder), as I've tried to illustrate for you above. Spielman backed Ponder for the better part of 3 years. Please do your own research if you'd like...

[losperros]

I feel basically the same way.

So do I. Quarterbacks get hurt in the NFL. We've all seen it happen too often. If Bridgewater goes down, the Vikings need a backup that can win and not just be a body that they can snap the ball to.

[mondry]

It's not that relevant anyway, He's naturally going to back these young QBs when the organization is still counting on them.

should have ended there. No way he says anything else about either QB.

[Purple bruise]

Great outlook for the Vikes and TB http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... e859ebd3ca

[losperros]

Great outlook for the Vikes and TB

Thanks for the link, PB! Very cool stuff.

It's great to hear the media's positive reaction to the Vikings. I especially love their reaction to the defense!

[mosscarter]

if you can't pass vertically on some level in today's game you won't win a championship. you may get close, but that is about it. manning didn't have a great season, but his career speaks for itself and as far as cam newton goes? what else can you say. i still think carson palmer was hurt more than they let on and the last remaining qb was brady. someone on here at some point tried to say brady doesn't stretch the field. well, i remember he did just fine tossing 23 td's to moss in 07. the thing is with brady is he takes what the defense gives him, but when he needs to go deep he's as good as anyone.

[John_Viveiros]

Some people want some magical QB to appear on the Vikings team next year and take this team to the playoffs. Well folks, it's not going to happen.

When did you post this? This year we had a magical QB who took the team to the playoffs, and actually played well enough to win the game, especially with the game on the line.

[John_Viveiros]

Spielman was a huge Ponder advocate!

He had to be. But he drafted a new QB as soon as he (and the rest of us) recognized it wasn't going to work out.

I'm not sold on Spielman as a talent evaluator...but there are some things he does quite well as GM. He and Zimmer seem like a good match.

First off, I say this every year. I'm really a broken record here. You won't hit on every one of your draft choices! Pick any GM, and we can show you the crappy players they've drafted. The successful guys get good players about half the time in the first round. ...And even less in the later rounds.

I do agree that Zimmer and Spielman are a good match - certainly for evaluating defensive talent. There's no evidence that they can do the same consistently for the offensive side of the ball (also, not much evidence that they can't - the jury is out, for me at least).