Bridgewater: No interest in Cleveland
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said in an interview Tuesday on "The Dan Patrick Show" that he wouldn't have wanted to play for the Cleveland Browns had he been drafted by the team.
Asked whether there was a possibility that he might have been picked by Cleveland, Bridgewater said: "There was a chance, but I actually told my agent that's not the place where I wanted to be. Throughout this entire process I felt comfortable with the Minnesota Vikings. Every visit that I had with the team, you know, there was a family environment and the players, great guys. A great group of guys. So I felt comfortable wanting to play here."
The former Louisville star was selected by Minnesota as the final pick of the first round Thursday, 10 spots after the Browns took Johnny Manziel.
Bridgewater also said during the interview with Patrick that he is motivated to make other teams pay for passing on him in the draft.
"Ah, yeah, it's somewhat accurate," Bridgewater said. "Coach [Mike] Zimmer loves guys who play with a chip on their shoulder. I just continue to stay within my character, but at same time, I know my mindset."
On Monday, Browns coach Mike Pettine shot down a report that the team originally had Bridgewater's name on its draft card and switched it to Manziel's in the seconds before the pick was due.
"I heard that story too, and it's beyond laughable," Pettine said of an ESPN Cleveland report while at the Browns Foundation golf outing in Aurora, Ohio.
Pettine also said Manziel was in the conversation at No. 4, the only quarterback the Browns considered with their top pick.
ESPN's affiliate in Cleveland reported Monday that, after trading up to the No. 22 pick, Browns general manager Ray Farmer had selected Bridgewater in that spot. A source told ESPN Cleveland that the card prepared to be given to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for the official announcement originally had Bridgewater's name on it. Then, with 10 seconds left in the team's turn, the card was replaced with one bearing Manziel's name.
