Roundtable: Evaluating Teddy Bridgewater Being Lions' Backup QB
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1.) What was your reaction to seeing the Lions' top offensive weapons working out this week?
Christian Booher: I think it's a refreshing sign. There's not much out of the ordinary, as many teammates work out in the offseason together. To see the Lions' offensive stars doing so shows a little of the camaraderie that fans are hoping they have on the field.
Vito Chirco: I agree with Christian here. It's definitely a positive sign for Jared Goff and the offense. Now, just hopefully a spring and summer of working out together translates to success for Ben Johnson's offense during the regular season. I'm of the mindset that it will.
2.) Do you trust Aaron Glenn to fix the defense now that more talent has been added?
Booher: I do. I think Glenn is a capable leader and a very smart coach. So, having improved talent will go a long way toward making the defense a better unit heading into 2023.
Glenn has shown an ability to make important adjustments throughout his coaching tenure, and the defense looked the best it has under Glenn during the second half of the 2022 season.
I think the added talent also gives Glenn some opportunity to design unique schemes. I'm looking forward to seeing what the defense looks like when the season opener commences.
Chirco: I believe the verdict is still out on Glenn. As much as the defense improved under his watch down the stretch of last season, I still want to see what the third-year defensive coordinator does this upcoming season, with a defensive backs room that's been fully overhauled.
I believe Detroit general manager Brad Holmes will continue to make improvements to the team's defense through this April's draft. So, Glenn will have a much better defense to work with in 2023, than he did during his first two seasons in the Motor City.
So, to me, Glenn has a big season ahead of himself, and based on how the defense performs, will be able to prove his worth as a defensive play-caller.
3.) Do the Lions draft a quarterback this year?
Booher: I believe the Lions will not draft a quarterback. I have gone back and forth on this topic several times this offseason. We've gotten some clues to their draft strategy. However, I think many, including some of the Lions' highest-ranking officials, may not know what the team will do during the draft.
Brad Holmes has a plan, and has aced each of the last two drafts. I think he would be better suited to add a veteran backup and look to the 2024 NFL Draft for a better option.
Chirco: Even with all the news about the Lions pursuing Teddy Bridgewater and reportedly having a strong offer on the table for him, I still believe Detroit will draft a QB this year.
I don't think it will come in the first round. But, I do believe it could come as early as the second round, with Tennessee's Hendon Hooker being a popular Day 2 target for the Lions in recent mock drafts.
And, if Detroit opts not to take a passer that early, I could see Lions general manager Brad Holmes targeting UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson, affectionately known as "DTR," in the fifth or sixth round.
4.) Is QB Teddy Bridgewater good enough to win games, if Jared Goff goes down with an injury?
Booher: I think Teddy Bridgewater is a perfect fit for what the Lions are trying to build. He's bounced around the league in recent years, and could find some stability behind Goff.
He's been a fine player in the league for eight seasons. He, by no means, is someone capable of leading a team to the playoffs on his own, but he can elevate a team that has a solid supporting class.
It's easy to envision him connecting with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, should that situation ever arise. I think this move would be a great one for the Lions moving into the 2023 season.
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Chirco: For starters, Bridgewater would be a heck of a lot better, and definitely more reliable, than current Lions backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld.
Bridgewater has significant NFL playing experience, and you'd actually be able to trust him to win a game (or even two or three), if your starting signal-caller were to go down with an injury.
So, I think he'd be a perfect backup for Goff, as well as for a team like the Lions that is looking to take the next step and is aiming to be a playoff team in 2023.
5.) Which player on the roster best represents what the Lions are about?
Booher: The answer for me is Alex Anzalone. The linebacker was recently rewarded with a stable, three-year contract, after a season filled with career-best marks.
This contract comes after two seasons that he spent playing for the Lions on one-year deals. He has continuously improved in two years in Motown, while making plenty of important plays.
He's not the flashiest player, but he has been effective and gets the job done. To me, that's the identity the Lions are trying to build.
Chirco: It's hard to argue with Anzalone. But, for the sake of being different, I'm going to go with Lions right tackle Penei Sewell.
Just like Anzalone, Sewell embodies the toughness and the physicality of a Dan Campbell-led team.
Sewell consistently plays with a ton of swagger and talks a lot of trash. And, he backs it up with his play on the field. He's not afraid to take on any defensive lineman, and he can be seen from time to time throwing around defenders like rag dolls.
I believe he's exactly the type of player that Campbell and Holmes want on their team, and I believe he's one of the core members of this present Lions roster.
