Insider Reveals the Pre-Conditions Broncos Would Ask of Panthers to Acquire QB Teddy Bridgewater via Trade

If the Broncos were to pull the trigger on a trade for Teddy Bridgewater, there's one key pre-condition the Panthers would have to agree to.

When you set aside all the polarizing opinions that exist throughout the fanbase, the signs all point to Denver Broncos' GM George Paton having a significant interest in acquiring QB Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers.

The recent arrival of Sam Darnold in Carolina means Bridgewater will now be made available for trade, and when you combine his sudden availability with his notable past history, the match is undeniable.

9NEWS' Mike Klis hinted earlier this week during a radio appearance on 104.3 The FAN's Stokley and Zach show that one of the prerequisite conditions that would have to be met in order for Paton to pull the trigger on a Bridgewater trade is the Panthers being willing to absorb a sizable chunk of his $17 million base salary in 2021. 

“I really think most teams are interested in Bridgewater if #Carolina releases him. The Broncos would be interested in Bridgewater competing with Drew Lock. Either Carolina has to pay some sort of guarantee, or release him.” @MikeKlis. said on air w @bstokley14. @byesline.

2/2 pic.twitter.com/rQ2FSZgm7f

— Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) April 8, 2021

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Paton famously scouted Bridgewater coming out of Louisville, and his intel led to the Minnesota Vikings using a first-round pick on the former Cardinals standout. Interestingly, Broncos' head coach Vic Fangio expressed how much he liked Bridgewater's smarts and skill-set prior to the Broncos' Week 14 matchup.

“He’s a good operator in that he doesn’t get nervous at the line of scrimmage as the play clock is running down,” Fangio observed back in December. “He’s very confident in his ability to make the necessary calls—protection and audible. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been, and I think the guy’s a really good quarterback.”

If Fangio's evaluation on Bridgewater still holds true, it may well provide the deciding vote to convincing Paton to seriously pursue the veteran, but the 28-year-old would have to take a significant salary haircut to make any potential deal work. 

Amidst all the pros and cons of a potential Bridgewater trade, the truth is, Paton has played a QB waiting game thus far, so it would be massively out of character to suddenly plunge headlong into a franchise-defining trade-up for the Atlanta Falcons' highly coveted No. 4 overall draft pick. 

Mortgaging the top end of next year’s draft capital most likely won’t appeal that much to the first-year GM either, especially when he is attempting to fill multiple roster holes that still remain. Given Paton’s previous reluctance to bridge the gap necessary to acquire more established QBs, like Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, or even Darnold, it’s unlikely he'll relinquish much draft capital to acquire his former charge.

Dialing down all the pre-draft hype and opting for a solid veteran to challenge Lock might not excite fans that much, but it fits with Paton’s stealthy operating tactics in the front office that much better.

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Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

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