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Evidently Bridgewater wasn't enamored with the Browns .....

2014 NFL Draft: Catch-22: Did Teddy Bridgewater boycott Browns? - CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-d...-boycott-browns

Did a year of dysfunction cost the Cleveland Browns their preferred quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft?

Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the 32nd overall pick last Thursday, was on the board when the Browns traded the 26th overall pick and a third-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 22nd pick, with the intent of drafting a quarterback to compete with current starter Brian Hoyer.

According to reports -- vehemently denied Monday by coach Mike Pettine -- the Browns were primed to select Bridgewater but at the last minute switched their choice to Texas A&M sophomore Johnny Manziel.

Bridgewater said Tuesday on the "Dan Patrick Show" that he informed agent Kennard McGuire that he did not want to play in Cleveland.

"I actually told my agent that's not the place where I wanted to be,” Bridgewater told Patrick Tuesday in the midst of several rounds of media interviews.

The Vikings expect Bridgewater to compete to start as a rookie. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner was one of few NFL personnel to emerge from Bridgewater's pro day workout in March with a review that labeled the throwing session anything but abysmal. Coach Mike Zimmer said Sunday the Vikings will start the best quarterback, and he "hopes it is" Bridgewater.
Cassell re-signed with the team -- for two years, $10 million -- after ending the 2013 season as the Vikings' starter ahead of Christian Ponder.

Four months after surprisingly firing head coach Rob Chudzinski on the night of the regular-season ending loss, the Browns are battling to become relevant for the first time since re-entering the league in 1999. But with eight head coaches and 20 starting quarterbacks, that direction is doubtful for prospects such as Bridgewater.

Cleveland also imploded the front office one week before the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine in February, removing president and CEO Joe Banner and general manager Mike Lombardi, and pushing personnel executive Ray Farmer into the decision-making GM role for the first time. Banner and Lombardi hired Pettine -- Farmer was not even in the room for interviews -- and Cleveland acknowledged it first attempted to trade for San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh.

NFLDraftScout.com applauded Farmer's effort last week in the draft.

With only two winning seasons in Manziel's lifetime, owner Jimmy Haslam understands the pessimism but said the Browns got their guy this time around.

"(Manziel) is a guy who accounted for 93 touchdowns the last two years in a very tough conference (Southeastern)," Haslam said. "He was the highest-rated quarterback on our board."

then its a win / win.

My guess is that the Browns never wanted Teddy Bridgewater.

I had Teddy above Manziel before the draft, but if he even intimated this to his agent it means I assume our FO heard it as well. Yeah, that's the kind of thing that gets a player moved down.

Little sour grapes there Teddy?

Does anyone else think that's a crock? I think if we'd have picked him, he'd be singing a different tune about how proud he is to be a Brown.

Oh well.. If he didn't want to be here, that's fine. Moving on.

j/c

I'm very happy we did not take Bridgewater. Whether it is true or not, why does he feel the need to tell the press that he didn't want to come to CLE? What does that accomplish other than to make him look like a diva? I guess he's just trying to save face after sliding so far but still... just wow.

I would say any talented rookie QB, given his choice, wouldn't choose to be selected by the least stable organization over the past few years.

think about it...... In less than three calendar years, we have gone through 3 GM's and 3 HC's. Does that sound like your choice of where you would choose to go? I'd say if Manziel had his choice, he wouldn't be in Cleveland either.

Instead, he would have been selected higher in the draft by a more stable team. I'd bet money that he would be happier had the Cowboys of chosen him.

Exactly.

I view this as a non-issue. Anybody in his shoes would do the exact same thing.

Now, the fact that he came out and said it was something else, but he's not a Brown, so I really don't care.

link:

http://www.danpatrick.com/dan-patrick-archive/#podcasts

around 13:30.

and i would say some talented rookie might sieze the opportunity to turn a football town and franchise around and not shy away from the challenge.

Some might embrace the chance to be the football saviour to a hungry fan base, knowing full well that in being that saviour are found more rewards than could be reaped than in some football ghosttown like... say Cincinnati or St louis where the sport is oftimes an after thought.

I would say that some one who feels the need to put the spotlight on a team that didnt pick him more than on the team that did has bigger issues as far as confidence in himself and his ability to succeede than he might admit.

I would say that someone like JFF's personality is one that he will accept the challange and that is exactly what Pettine wants to see.

I would say that our new coach is a guy that isn't going to hand the job to anyone and will put the screws to players old and new alike to see how they respond and if that response is not indicative of being tough in mind and body then they need to go.

This town and job is yours for the taking JFF - you have to sieze the opportunity ... I say lets see you go for it.

I say i may have to change my Sig... this is not the same ole browns... about damn time.

Quote:

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and i would say some talented rookie might sieze the opportunity to turn a football town and franchise around and not shy away from the challenge.

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Only those of high character and morale timber.. the ME FIRST guys aren't the ones I want anyway..

See here's the thing, I'm sure Pit is right. Lots of guys would rather be somewhere else and no, I really can't blame them. But you don't talk about it.. You think it, maybe you talk to your agent about it, but you never put it out there. That was childish by Teddy. And yeah, it sounds a lot like sour grapes because I guarantee you, if we drafted him, he'd be singing a different tune..

Interesting, lots of issues coming out after the draft with teddy that we were unaware of.

I guess I look at pro athletes in a different light... I want a headstrong attitude,.. this aint no ice cream social.

i want my players to be pricks, for other teams and fans to hate them ti find reason to rag on this... to show up on game days with a swagger that boast yeah look at me I am going to roast your ass.

If they want to go some place soft and cozy and tnot take the job by the balls then fine go there,

I get what Pit is saying and understand where it's cpomes from and suppose on many levels it rings true... I guess I just want players that want to be here, they embrace the challenge and the work... JFF has the flash.... but trust me when he straps it on he gives it all he has and he wont shy away from it just because it's tough

Sounds like someone has a Johnny Football crush.
















I mean me, I already bought a jersey, my first one since Kellen Winslow. I love passionate players!

I got one too. Went with the white for the first time.

you now in retrospect.. i was wrong to villify TB for what he said.

Sometimes I forget these are just 21 year old, entitlled athletes that for the most part have not had this bright of a spotlight and this many microphones in front of them.

Perhaps when we traded up he thought it was for him and us taking JM really stung, so the natural reaction is to strike out.

Sure he will learn.. that said see your ass when you come to town... hope you are starting.

If it had been said before the draft, I could see an issue with it, but it wasn't. Once we drafted Manziel and Bridgewater was drafted by the Vikings, it's really a non issue.

Great interview. Thanks for the link!

It is non issue for the most part but in this day and age where few players ever play out there entire career on one team, its kind of dumb to basically slam another oganization that could always potentially be a future employer.

Doesn't matter to me that he said it, just think it shows a little less class than I thought he had. I wanted TB over JFF, but I'm kind of glad we didn't pick him if its all true.

I just hope we drafted the best QB left at our pick, no matter who that was. If it's Johnny Football, I'll be happy about it. If it ends up being Bridgewater, I'll wish we would have picked him instead.

To me that's the bottom line here no matter how it plays out.

Yep, he's failed drug tests, raped women, been charged with assault and God knows what other horrors.



Browns fans just looking for stones to toss. Much ado about nothing.

I just don't know what it gets him to say this.

If he gets cut in 3 years, and is looking for a job, do you think that this will come up? I bet it would.

Oh it certainly wasn't the smartest thing to say.

But if you listen to the link to the interview with Bridgewater, he said he told the Browns FO during his interview with the team that he'd make every team that passed on him pay for it.

It seems Browns fans love that attitude until it's turned towards the Browns. My guess is he saw the Browns picking Manziel over himself and this was a message. Which everyone would have loved if it had been one of our players with that attitude pointing it towards someone else.

There's a difference between saying "I'll make them pay for not drafting me" and "I don't want to play there"

Eli Manning didn't want to play for SD. He didn't come out saying "I'll make them pay for trading me!"

Sorry, Pit, it was a stupid thing to say. He engaged his mouth before putting his brain in gear.

But he is right in one aspect of what he said in the interview. He'll probably play better in Minnesota than in Cleveland. Well, except for the next two years since they'll be playing outdoors until their new stadium is finished.

I liked TB and would not have been upset had they picked him. But it was still a dumb thing to say.

Is there anything more overrated than a guy who says "I'll make every team that passed on me pay for doing so"?

It sounds great if that player turns out to be great. If not no one remembers.

JC

Man I really don't get all the hate. Teddy is saying things now that most competitive young men say. Whatever gets him motivated. I will not hold it against him. Best of luck TB.

Here's to hoping Bortles, Manziel Bridgewater is closer to the Manning, Rivers and Rothlisberger debate and not Gabbert, Locker and Ponder or even worse Couch, Mcnabb Akili Smith comparisons.