What does the Denver Broncos depth chart look like after the Teddy Brdigewater trade?
The first quarterback domino of the NFL Draft has seemingly fallen, and it’s not one of the talked about prospects.
Teddy Bridgewater was traded to the Denver Broncos roughly 24 hours before the start of the draft, which could throw more than a few things into chaos.
Denver trading for a quarterback seems to indicate it won’t be drafting one with the No. 9 overall pick. Adam Schefter from ESPN reports that the Broncos aren’t closing the door on doing such a thing, which creates all sorts of potential smokescreens for John Elway to manipulate.
More long-term, the addition of Bridgewater crowds a quarterback room already cloaked in doubt. Drew Lock’s job was already in jeopardy and this moves seemingly confirms he needs to earn it to keep it.
So what does the Broncos quarterback depth chart look like now that Bridgewater has been acquired?
Denver Broncos 2021 Quarterback Depth Chart
As of now, here’s what the Broncos would be rolling with on the depth chart at quarterback:
1. Teddy Bridgewater
2. Drew Lock
3. Brett Rypien
4. Jeff Driscoll
Even if the Broncos don’t draft a quarterback, there’s some fat to be trimmed.
Based on how low he is on the depth chart, Driscoll seems like an obvious candidate to be jettisoned. Rypien also feels very expendable but his fate may be closely tied to what happens for the Broncos next.
More specifically, Rypien’s fate will be determined by the answer to the biggest question hanging above Denver: What happens to Drew Lock?
Lock still has the bulk of his rookie contract ahead of him, which could be an attractive asset for a team looking to get maximum value out of that. Denver, based on this trade and also if they draft a guy in the first-round, does not appear to be one of those teams but a team on with an uncertain future but not an immediate need at quarterback may see it as a chance to try and develop Lock for a few years before a true decision needs to be made. Think Tampa Bay, New England, or Minnesota in this scenario.