Bridgewater didn't want to play for the Browns because he knew not everyone was on board - 01/31/15 10:16 PM
'Teddy Bridgewater didn't want to play for Cleveland Browns in part because he knew not everyone was on board, source says'
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By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group on January 30, 2015 at 7:16 PM, updated January 30, 2015 at 7:36 PM
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who's up for Pepsi Rookie of the Year, didn't want to play for the Browns in part because he knew that not everyone in the organization was on board with drafting him, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Bridgewater, who made the rounds at radio row at the Super Bowl Friday, was selected No. 32 overall by the Vikings and had a sensational rookie season.
The source said Bridgewater knew that some in the organization really liked him and that others wanted Johnny Manziel instead.
Browns coach Mike Pettine said at the draft that they had Manziel ranked No. 1 among quarterbacks on their draft board and that he was in the conversation at No. 4. The Browns traded up from No. 26 to No. 22 to select Manziel, sending a third round pick to the Eagles to move up. The Vikings tabbed Bridgewater 10 spots later.
After the draft, Bridgewater revealed on the Dan Patrick Show that he didn't really want to go to Cleveland anyway.
"There was a chance, but I actually told my agent that's not the place where I wanted to be,'' he said. "Throughout this entire process I felt comfortable with the Minnesota Vikings. Every visit that I had with the team, you know, there was a family environment and the players, great guys. A great group of guys. So I felt comfortable wanting to play here."
Turns out, Bridgewater also knew that there wasn't a consensus on him in the building. he wasn't the Browns' unanimous pick.
Bridgewater, who went 6-6 as a starter, finished 22nd in the NFL with an 85.2 rating -- seventh-best in NFL history among rookies. He threw for 2,919 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and his 64.4 completion percentage was third highest by a rookie in NFL history, behind Ben Roethlisberger and Robert Griffin III.
Meanwhile, Manziel flopped in his two late-season starts and the Browns are hoping he can live up to his first-round status next season.
Early last offseason, the Browns commissioned a study on the top quarterbacks in the draft, and the results said Bridgewater was their man. But by the time the draft rolled around in May, the sentiment shifted to Manziel.
Ray Farmer has stressed that he made the call on Manziel, not Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
A source also told Northeast Ohio Media Group that former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan wasn't sold on either Manziel or Bridgewater, preferring Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo and Texans backup Tom Savage instead.
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http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ss..._social_feature
By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group on January 30, 2015 at 7:16 PM, updated January 30, 2015 at 7:36 PM
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who's up for Pepsi Rookie of the Year, didn't want to play for the Browns in part because he knew that not everyone in the organization was on board with drafting him, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Bridgewater, who made the rounds at radio row at the Super Bowl Friday, was selected No. 32 overall by the Vikings and had a sensational rookie season.
The source said Bridgewater knew that some in the organization really liked him and that others wanted Johnny Manziel instead.
Browns coach Mike Pettine said at the draft that they had Manziel ranked No. 1 among quarterbacks on their draft board and that he was in the conversation at No. 4. The Browns traded up from No. 26 to No. 22 to select Manziel, sending a third round pick to the Eagles to move up. The Vikings tabbed Bridgewater 10 spots later.
After the draft, Bridgewater revealed on the Dan Patrick Show that he didn't really want to go to Cleveland anyway.
"There was a chance, but I actually told my agent that's not the place where I wanted to be,'' he said. "Throughout this entire process I felt comfortable with the Minnesota Vikings. Every visit that I had with the team, you know, there was a family environment and the players, great guys. A great group of guys. So I felt comfortable wanting to play here."
Turns out, Bridgewater also knew that there wasn't a consensus on him in the building. he wasn't the Browns' unanimous pick.
Bridgewater, who went 6-6 as a starter, finished 22nd in the NFL with an 85.2 rating -- seventh-best in NFL history among rookies. He threw for 2,919 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and his 64.4 completion percentage was third highest by a rookie in NFL history, behind Ben Roethlisberger and Robert Griffin III.
Meanwhile, Manziel flopped in his two late-season starts and the Browns are hoping he can live up to his first-round status next season.
Early last offseason, the Browns commissioned a study on the top quarterbacks in the draft, and the results said Bridgewater was their man. But by the time the draft rolled around in May, the sentiment shifted to Manziel.
Ray Farmer has stressed that he made the call on Manziel, not Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
A source also told Northeast Ohio Media Group that former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan wasn't sold on either Manziel or Bridgewater, preferring Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo and Texans backup Tom Savage instead.
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