Taylor Heinicke, Commanders
Signing Heinicke would constitute a homecoming. Collins Hill High’s finest would play just south of the Suwanee community where he grew up and started his journey into an NFL player. Heinicke showed well in his time with Washington and, from afar, seemed to gain respect of those playing with him.
His stats were solid in nine games [all were starts] in 2022, with a 62.2 completion percentage, 1,859 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He was 5-3-1 in those contests and has a 12-12-1 record in his career. He has been a starter, even as a full-time post in 2021. He has also experience as a backup and could be comfortable if relegated to that role.
That makes him a real asset in the Falcons’ situation. You give someone a legit opportunity to compete, but you’re dealing with someone who has been a pro when take out of the starting lineup. He’s also a tough player who will compete like heck with Ridder, also a plus. Spotrac puts his average annual salary at $19 million, but that seems high to me. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I think he could command a high-end backup salary with some escalators if he wins the starting gig that would allow him to earn legit starter money. It’s also possible a team views him as an established starter, and that could skew his value. Time will tell on that front, but he’s an intriguing option in my opinion.
Teddy Bridgewater, Dolphins
The former first-round pick out of Louisville has seen it all at this point in his career, going from established starter and Pro Bowler to someone fighting to recover from a serious leg injury. He has had some success since then as a starter, though he has bounced around with four times over his last four seasons.
That experience is valuable in this league and Bridgewater has plenty of it. Atlanta could constitute a golden opportunity to win a starting gig, with Ridder’s hold on QB1 publicly considered more tenuous than many others. That would create some quality training camp competition, which is what Arthur Smith loves when filling out a depth chart.
The Red Rifle is 35 years old. That’s of no issue to the Falcons. Dalton could start for a year if things go sideways with Ridder. He started 2022 as a backup to Jameis Winston and has been a backup since leaving Cincinnati while getting golden opportunities to start during that time. While some are surely rolling their eyes right now, I think this signing would be a sign the Falcons are committed to developing…
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