Teams drafting quarterbacks in the first round are making quite a claim about the state of their franchise. But their spending doesn't make a lot of sense for team-building.
Over the past five years, 16 quarterbacks have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. More often than not, these newbies have been paired with seasoned veterans, often high-priced seasoned veterans, to pave the way and relieve some pressure. These veterans are known by the noble nickname of "bridge quarterbacks."
What they should really be called, however, are "opportunity thieves."
Given the structure of today's NFL salary cap and what we know about player development, bridge quarterbacks are detrimental to team-building.