DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2014 NFL Season NFL Draft 2014 Ray Farmer enamored with Teddy Bridgewater

It's MKC, so make of it what you will....the bolded part made me shudder though. And if Farmer is "enamored", he should get Teddy at 4 and not waste multiple picks trying to trade up from 26 and risk losing him. How stupid is that? If you think he's a franchise QB, then take him at 4

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2014/05/cleveland_browns_gm_ray_farmer_4.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns general manager Ray Farmer is enamored with former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and will strongly consider him at No. 26, league sources have told cleveland.com.

The sources said Farmer has had a fascination with Bridgewater since last fall, and would like to land him at No. 26. The Browns have even looked into trading up from No. 26 to get Bridgewater, one source said.

Bridgewater has slipped on some teams' draft boards because of a shaky pro day last month. ESPN's Jon Gruden went so far as to say on a conference call last week that he'd take a quarterback off his board if he had a lackluster pro day.

But apparently it hasn't dissuaded Farmer, who also conducted a private workout with Bridgewater along with other staffers and brought him in for a visit.

During his Pro Day, Bridgewater shed his trademark glove -- one that helped him win 30 games at Louisville including a school-record 12 last year -- for the showcase in front of 29 NFL teams, and it proved to be a colossal mistake.

Bridgewater completed only 57 of 65 attempts, including two drops, and his Pro Day was ripped from coast to coast by analysts such as NFL Network's Mike Mayock, who dubbed it "average at best'' with a "lot of inaccuracy.''

With a bare hand, he wasn't the same quarterback who finished second in the NCAA in 2013 with a 71 percent completion percentage and set a school record with a career mark of 68.3 percent.

“From this day forward, I’m going to do what got me here, and that’s wearing a glove,'' he said on NFL Network. "I was able to learn that from the Pro Day, to continue to do what you’re comfortable doing, continue to do what got you in this situation in the first place. I’ve been wearing gloves the past three years, so I’ll get back into the glove business.”

So why did he pick that all-important day to let his digits roam free?

“I was training down in Florida,'' he said. "It was 80-degree weather, sunny outside, so I was letting the ball spin without the glove and I just felt confident going into the Pro Day. I trust my training, I’m always confident in my training, so going into competition I trust preparation. So I went back to Louisville and the weather changed, it was a little cold outside, the ball gets a little rough and I still decided to go without the glove.”

Considered by some the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft, Bridgewater wasn't concerned with his bad reviews.

"I just pay no attention to it,'' he told NFL Network. "Keep my head down, stay focused on what I have to work on. If something is being said in a negative way about me, I use it as growth, I learn from it. If it’s something being said positive about me, I still can learn from it. I’m just on a mission to be the best player that I can be, so I keep my head down and just keep moving forward.”

Browns coach Mike Pettine complimented Bridgewater at the NFL Annual Meetings last month.

"I think he's extremely accurate,'' said Pettine. "You can tell he's a very cerebral quarterback. He understands the game very well. Understands coverages, that kind of jumps off the tape at you. To me, he seems very unfazed by things. He plays very well under pressure. He's a guy that's NFL-ready. It doesn't seem to be too big for him. He kind of has that calming presence out there. Some quarterbacks get real emotional, get real fired up and he's not that. He kind of has that quiet confidence about him.''

Other quarterbacks high on the Browns' list are Fresno State's Derek Carr, Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo and Pitt's Tom Savage. Carr might be gone by No. 26, but Garoppolo and Savage should still be there -- and could also be targets with the No. 35 pick.

While Browns owner Jimmy Haslam "loves Manziel'' according to sources, others in the organization are not as sold. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Tuesday on Fox Sports Radio that the Browns will not draft Manziel.

Carr - Check
Manziel - Check
Bridgewater - Check
Garropolo - Check
Savage - Check

All QB's we've been linked to.

We're taking Bortles.

lol...well there is tonight, and early tomorrow for us to see an article that we are after him too....

Not one direct quote from Farmer validating any of this conjecture.

j/c

Maybe this article will give Vers and Eotab some positive reinforcement! Teddy very well could still be on the board at #26, but I'm not moving up for him. I'd be quite pleased with Jimmy G at #26 if Teddy is gone...

Aaron Murray it is then!

Please take teddy at 4

Sounding like he could be early 3rd before its done.

I am beginning to think Farmer and Pettine are complete idiots

I think the Jets want TB, and all the NY media is on board with it.

They are purposely down playing him so he available and the jets can nab him.

... and I think that brings us full circle to the beginning of this offseason.

Thanks for the ride, Farmer.

sorry just channeling the antithesis of one of my favorite posters.

Farmer loves Bridgewater

Haslam loves Manziel

Pettine thinks that Carr is the best pure passer

LOL

that can all be true and they could still not pick any of them

Tom Savage further into the draft.
My sleeper QB.

Mary Kay Cabot @MaryKayCabot

#Browns have also looked into trading up from No. 26 to draft Teddy Bridgewater, Ray Farmer's guy.

https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/464065384761409537


We've come full circle.

As long as this entire "QB circle jerk" goes full circle and ends up where it started, I'm fine with that!

This just leads me to believe that we don't want Bridgewater.

Not saying that's a good or bad thing. But that's my reaction.

Bridgewater is the type of QB that Farmer likes.,

So add to it they may not take a QB @ 4..I expect it to be a playmaker..don't be shocked if it's Evans...and DJ don't be shocked if they go QB @ 26.

Watkins at 4 and Bridewater at 26 would be extremely awesome!

More I think about it, more I believe the front office won't be looking at QB @ #4, so the above scenario would be beyond perfect IMO.

Clemson officials have said the Browns have spent little to zero time with Watkins.The team that has spent the most with him is Detroit.

Bridgewater at 26 makes sense. Not at 4, but 26 is fine.

At 4, you are looking at a day 1 starter, and a player with all-pro likelyhood.

My preference is Watkins or Mack...Watkins if both are there. I just see them as having immediate impact on the team.

We have seen the Browns get nerved and taken a couple of times, T Rich, Weeden, Hardesty, etc...

The team still needs players at a lot of positions, a trade down is plausible. Notthing is worth a trade up in this draft.

I think Bridgewater choosing to take off his glove for the pro-day is going to be the best thing to happen to him as well as some lucky team drafting him. Let some other team gamble on Manziel. I think Bridgewater is right there with him...without all the hype and uncertainty.