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Monday Morning Mailbag: Bridgewater Reunion Chatter, Jake Browning's 2020 Outlook

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Any chance we see Teddy Bridgewater back in Purple and Gold? Skol Vikes!

— Adam in NYC

The topic of a reunion between Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings has been tossed around by fans and pundits alike over the past month, mostly because of the emotional way it tugs on your heartstrings. And to be clear, there is still plenty of love and respect for Teddy within the Vikings organization.

Oddly enough, Teddy was the last quarterback the Vikings drafted … and that was back in 2014. He was primed to be the face of the franchise before an unfortunate, unlucky and gruesome leg/knee injury almost ended his career. He worked his way back onto the field with the Vikings, and has spent the past two seasons with New Orleans, where he went 5-0 as a starter in 2019 while filling in for an injured Drew Brees.

Bridgewater is set to become a free agent and appears to want (and has likely earned) another crack at a starting gig, which would be unlikely in Minnesota with Kirk Cousins coming off arguably the best season of his career.

Sean Mannion backed up Cousins in 2019 and also is set to become a free agent. The Vikings could re-sign Mannion or try to add an experienced backup through other methods.

View photos of the Vikings 2020 coaching staff.

I know there is still the combine and free agency, but what are the chances of Vikings taking Antoine Winfield, Jr., in the first or second round? He's a Minnesota man with Vikings legacy, and great return man, ball hawk and run stopper. I feel like Zim' needs to get his hands on this guy.

Love all the content, SKOL!

— Brian in Connecticut

It would certainly be awesome to have another Winfield in the Vikings secondary, but it remains to be seen if that will happen. To reference, cornerback Antoine Winfield made 115 career starts in Purple and had 21 interceptions from 2004-2012.

His son, Antoine, Jr., just finished a standout four-year career with the Gophers as a defensive back. He recorded seven of his nine career interceptions as a senior when he won the Big Ten's Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award.

He was a game-changer for the Gophers, and could develop into a special player in the NFL. We'll see if he ends up in Minnesota, but we won't know that until the 2020 NFL Draft.

I'm actually planning on talking to him at the combine next week, so check Vikings.com for a feature on him soon.

View the best photos from Vikings team photographers of the offensive line during the 2019 season.

Should the Vikings get a left guard in free agency?

— Carl Brodin

That remains to be seen, but we're getting closer to knowing an answer with free agency roughly a month away. To recap, Pat Elflein started 15 of 16 regular-season games at that spot, with Dakota Dozier getting the start in Week 2 due to an injury to Elflein.

Elflein played his first season at left guard after spending his first two seasons at center, and he was part of the reason the Vikings ranked sixth in rushing and had 11 of 16 regular-season games where they allowed one sack or fewer.

With that said, the Vikings will likely look to bolster that unit this offseason, something Coach Zimmer mentioned immediately after the season. We'll see how a young player such as Dru Samia develops, and if anyone gets added in free agency and the draft.

If the Vikings don't add anyone in free agency, then perhaps Minnesota will target that unit in the draft.

Do you think we gave Jake Browning the contract we gave him to be our future?

— Demarous Davis

Good question on Jake Browning, who spent the entire 2019 season on the practice squad as a rookie. The contract Damerous refers to is the one the Vikings gave him as an undrafted free agent to get the quarterback in Minnesota.

Browning played sparingly in the preseason, completing 10 of 13 passes for 64 yards. He was intercepted once and totaled a passer rating of 54.6.

The Vikings perhaps got a better look at Browning during practices when he ran the offense for the scout team. He was also signed to a Reserve/Future contract last month, so he will be with the team for the 2020 offseason program.

With Cousins entering the final year of his contract and Mannion set to be a free agent, Browning could have the chance to impress coaches and teammates with a strong spring.

I'm not ready to anoint him as the future starter in Minnesota, but this offseason will be big for him to show he can take a step forward in his development.

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