When Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman was a guest on PFT Live last week, he said that he is “very excited” about quarterback Teddy Bridgewater taking a step forward heading into his third NFL season.
Among the things that excite Spielman about the quarterback’s prospects in 2016 is the move indoors at the Vikings’ new stadium. Playing in the controlled conditions of a domed stadium has led to good performances from Bridgewater in the past and Spielman hopes that increased comfort next season leads to an altered approach to the passing game.
“I think just the biggest thing that you want to see is maybe him letting it loose a little more,” Spielman said, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I don’t want to call him cautious, but he took very good care of the ball because we don’t want to turn the ball over. I don’t want to speak out of turn for the coaches, just letting it loose a little more, giving some guys a chance to make plays even though it may not look like it’s open. I think that comes with time, the more and more the quarterbacks are in the league.”
The Vikings hired Tony Sparano and Pat Shurmur as assistants on the offensive side of the ball and they are expected to target offensive line and wide receiver as areas to improve with offseason acquisitions, all of which speaks to their desire to be a more effective offense. Whether that’s also one that takes more risks is a separate question and the answer will tell us whether Spielman was speaking for himself or the entire organization.