Vikings' Bridgewater sometimes looks like Ponder

Minnesota Vikings second year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has shown the poise of a veteran at times. Other times, he has looked intimidated and indecisive.

Unfortunately, this is the same pattern exhibited by 2011 number draft pick quarterback Christian Ponder, during his four seasons wearing the purple.

Granted, Bridgewater has been running for his life on many passing downs, as the offensive line in front of him is mediocre at best. Still, he hasn't always reacted quickly, and his arm isn't the cannon that you see in other star NFL quarterbacks.

If the front office brings in some quality offensive linemen through free agency and the draft in the offseason, blockers that give Bridgewater time to read the defense and find open receivers, then we may have a better perspective on what he will become as a quarterback. He does have some decent weapons in Adrian Peterson, Mike Wallace, Kyle Rudolph, and Stefon Diggs, so if the blocking improves, we'll know if Bridgewater is the man who will lead Minnesota to the Super Bowl.

Vikings, Spielman made dumb move in releasing Winfield

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has made some decent draft picks in the last couple of years (Harrison Smith, Matt Kalil) but made a huge mistake in releasing cornerback Antoine Winfield this past winter. Winfield played well in 2012 and probably had one more good year in him at age 36. Perhaps if the Vikings had approached him when the season ended about restructuring his contract for 2013, he would have been agreeable.

Instead Spielman made a classless move by calling Winfield upstairs while he was working out at the team's facility and unceremoniously dumped him. 

The Vikings could have adjusted Winfield's contract and remained under the salary cap, and still added the players that they did.

Now the team is 0-3, and the defense ranks 28th in the NFL against the pass. Toss in an injury to cornerback Chris Cook, and Minnesota now has a problem in the secondary.

Didn't have to be that way. Some days I just wonder how guys like Spielman get their jobs.