QB Jameis Winston, NYG (22 Viewers)

[Faust]

Saints activated QB Jameis Winston from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Winston will be ready to resume No. 3 duties against the Vikings on Christmas Day. 

Dec 24, 2020, 4:23 PM ET

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

DIdn't know this.  Surprised Jameis got covid.

 

[Twenty-Four Eighty-Four]

Saw a report that the Saints like what they've seen from Winston and they'd like to re-sign him. Would this guy take a backup job with the Saints? Or does this imply if they re-signed him, he'd be the starter? Or do Hill and Winston fight it out in camp next year?

 

[Faust]

The Athletic's Larry Holder said Jameis Winston is likely to be the Saints' starter in 2021. 

"If I were a Saints fan," Holder said, "I’d prepare for Winston to win the starting job and become the heir apparent to Brees." It's a bold take after head coach Sean Payton chose Taysom Hill as the Saints' starter when Drew Brees was sidelined with a serious rib injury. Holder said the Saints would be better off with Winston over Matthew Stafford -- who will probably be traded in the coming weeks -- and that Winston's football IQ is "off the charts." He added that Payton can "coach the interceptions" out of Winston, who went 6-for-10 for 63 yards in Week 10 against the 49ers after Brees suffered broken ribs. Fantasy valuation of Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and the rest of the Saints will hinge on whether Winston or Hill wins the starting job. The team would first have to sign Winston, an unrestricted free agent. 

RELATED: 

Taysom Hill

SOURCE: The Athletic 

Jan 28, 2021, 4:25 PM ET

 

[The Frankman]

If I'm Jameis I'd be nuts to auto re-sign. There are spots where he can be an a starting QB and not look over his shoulder every game because Payton is too smart for his own good. Explore the landscape first before coming back to the Saints, who are probably doing the same thing.

 

[habsfan]

Just a reminder that someone's football IQ can be "off the charts" in the other direction...

 

[Capella]

If I'm Jameis I'd be nuts to auto re-sign. There are spots where he can be an a starting QB and not look over his shoulder every game because Payton is too smart for his own good. Explore the landscape first before coming back to the Saints, who are probably doing the same thing.

Starting a gadget back over him for 4 games wasn’t exactly a sign of confidence. Can’t believe he’d re-sign there unless there were no other options. 

 

[The Frankman]

Starting a gadget back over him for 4 games wasn’t exactly a sign of confidence. Can’t believe he’d re-sign there unless there were no other options. 

Yep. It wouldn't surprise me if the Saints went back and re-signed Teddy Bridgewater; he's a guy with a weaker arm but closer to Brees in football IQ and accuracy than Jameis, and the Saints loved him when he was there. In that situation I could see Jameis sign with the Panthers, who desperately at times needed a stronger armed QB to hit guys like Moore/Samuel deep. He's younger than Stafford and would be much cheaper.

 

[Anarchy99]

If I'm Jameis I'd be nuts to auto re-sign. There are spots where he can be an a starting QB and not look over his shoulder every game because Payton is too smart for his own good. Explore the landscape first before coming back to the Saints, who are probably doing the same thing.

I suppose it depends on how you view the QB landscape. Last year he missed out on a starting gig because there were more QBs with starting experience than there were starting jobs (and he had just thrown 1,000 interceptions the season before). While there are multiple jobs open (or potentially open) this year, there again will be a lot of QBs available with multiple rookie options getting drafted. If the Saints offered a multi-year deal with legit signing bonus money, Winston would probably be best suited to take the money and run. It's not like his stock improved by sitting for a year, so if he was hard pressed to get a starting job last year, it's unlikely he would be the top choice for other teams. IMO, for him to "play the market," he would probably have to take a low dollar prove it deal to make himself more attractive than his potential competitors. I suppose it depends on if Winston fashions himself as a $20+ million a year QB or not.

 

[Shawnky]

Starting a gadget back over him for 4 games wasn’t exactly a sign of confidence. Can’t believe he’d re-sign there unless there were no other options. 

Taysom has had 4 years in the offense and Payton loves him.  Not that hard to understand.  I think Jameis is a better option going forward honestly.  Where else could he go that is as built to win as NO.

 

[Shawnky]

If I'm Jameis I'd be nuts to auto re-sign. There are spots where he can be an a starting QB and not look over his shoulder every game because Payton is too smart for his own good. Explore the landscape first before coming back to the Saints, who are probably doing the same thing.

Again......where could he go that is as built to win as NO?

 

[wlwiles]

Starting a gadget back over him for 4 games wasn’t exactly a sign of confidence. Can’t believe he’d re-sign there unless there were no other options. 

I wonder how much of this (Taysom starting over Winston) was due to familiarity - Taysom knows the offense better having been there longer, more complicated playbook?  Maybe Payton wanted to give Taysom a couple games worth of a try out since he's the one signed longer-term, and the Saints won so they rolled with it.    

 

[ffmail4me]

Well I just made a HUGE gamble in a $250 startup best ball SF dynasty league. Took Winston with my 9.7 pick. I'll either look like a genius if he becomes the Saints starter (or for another team for that matter) or I'll look like an idiot for using a 9th on a backup. Sometimes you have to swing for the fences right??? 

 

[voiceofunreason]

Again......where could he go that is as built to win as NO?

People like Winston don’t care about winning. And why would the saints just give him the job next year. Much, much more likely they want him as the backup.

 

[voiceofunreason]

I wonder how much of this (Taysom starting over Winston) was due to familiarity - Taysom knows the offense better having been there longer, more complicated playbook?  Maybe Payton wanted to give Taysom a couple games worth of a try out since he's the one signed longer-term, and the Saints won so they rolled with it.    

Maybe it was alphabetical?

 

[ffmail4me]

People like Winston don’t care about winning. 

So he told you this over dinner I guess? I'm shocked!!! 

 

[foxco]

Again......where could he go that is as built to win as NO?

Indy comes to mind.

 

[habsfan]

Again......where could he go that is as built to win as NO?

The issue isn't the quality of the situation in NO. The issue is that NO should be a pretty attractive destination for a number of available QBs and if I was NO, I'd be looking for someone fairly "Brees-like" - in other words, someone who doesn't throw 1000 INTs a year.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

People like Winston don’t care about winning. And why would the saints just give him the job next year. Much, much more likely they want him as the backup.

He's garnering too much attention from other teams as their starter to take (another) year of minimum salary as the saints backup. 

 

[King of the Jungle]

He's garnering too much attention from other teams as their starter to take (another) year of minimum salary as the saints backup. 

Who is interested in him being their starter?

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

Who is interested in him being their starter?

Colts, Bears, and Saints are three being mentioned. I wouldn't be surprised if New England and Carolina weren't interested.  The honest truth is that he'd be a value sign starter for any team in need of a qb that isn't in full blown rebuild mode. 

 

[ffmail4me]

Colts, Bears, and Saints are three being mentioned. I wouldn't be surprised if New England and Carolina weren't interested.  The honest truth is that he'd be a value sign starter for any team in need of a qb that isn't in full blown rebuild mode. 

He'd be an upgrade to anything on Washington's roster right now too. But hopefully that changes when they trade for Watson 

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

He'd be an upgrade to anything on Washington's roster right now too. But hopefully that changes when they trade for Watson 

Scary Terry + Jameis makes salivate. 

 

[ffmail4me]

Scary Terry + Jameis makes salivate. 

For reals. It moved just thinking about it. 

 

[Grahamburn]

Again......where could he go that is as built to win as NO?

New Orleans is about a billion dollars over the cap.  They're going to be in shambles very soon. 

 

[Grahamburn]

He'd be an upgrade to anything on Washington's roster right now too. But hopefully that changes when they trade for Watson 

I wish we could do a case study on this somehow.  Winston for an average at best free agent contract or what it costs to get Watson.  Which one is more conducive to a winning future?

I still think Winston can win in the right environment.  I wish it would have been in Tampa, but I'm happy with the guy we've got now.

 

[rockaction]

Famous Jameis on the WFT would make me smile. Thinking about that Terry to Jameis connection.

 

[ffmail4me]

Famous Jameis on the WFT would make me smile. Thinking about that Terry to Jameis connection.

I do think Ron is the kind of coach that could likely get the best of out him. 

 

[rockaction]

I do think Ron is the kind of coach that could likely get the best of out him. 

I have a fantasy interest in McLaurin, so faster and looser with job security is preferable here.

 

[Faust]

Saints coach Sean Payton said the team has “big interest” in bringing back Jameis Winston.

“We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis,” Payton said in an interview with Good Morning Football. "We had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team, and that’s hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us. And a lot of times, you want to hold your cards closer to the vest and he is a free agent. But him, along with Taysom Hill who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along — we’re going to develop and coach those guys." It's a strong endorsement for Winston, who's set for free agency in March. Winston is the favorite to be the Saints' 2021 starter, though it's not a given after Hill made four spot starts over him last season. 

SOURCE: NFL Network

Feb 3, 2021, 10:03 AM ET

 

[Shawnky]

People like Winston don’t care about winning. And why would the saints just give him the job next year. Much, much more likely they want him as the backup.

This isn't only ridiculously wrong, it's also just plain lazy analysis with no basis.  Former Bronco Bennie Fowler  who was with the Saints last year was on a segment Friday on 104.3 The Fan here in Denver.  When asked about Winston he said the guy is very vocal and quite the leader in the locker room.  If he didn't care about winning, he wouldn't have signed the small contract he did to be with the Saints.

All that being said, I'd rather the Saints go a different direction based on this guy's character.  I trust Payton.   I just hope they address QB in this draft.

 

[Shawnky]

Indy comes to mind.

NO has a better D, WRs, OL, and arguably better RBs.

 

[Shawnky]

New Orleans is about a billion dollars over the cap.  They're going to be in shambles very soon. 

Two words......Mickey Loomis.  I trust him, and that's wishful thinking with you being a Bucs fan.

 

[Capella]

Wishful thinking for a Saints fan is not wasting a decade with the best QB you’ll ever have and not losing in hilarious fashion in the playoffs every year. 

 

[voiceofunreason]

This isn't only ridiculously wrong, it's also just plain lazy analysis with no basis.  Former Bronco Bennie Fowler  who was with the Saints last year was on a segment Friday on 104.3 The Fan here in Denver.  When asked about Winston he said the guy is very vocal and quite the leader in the locker room.  If he didn't care about winning, he wouldn't have signed the small contract he did to be with the Saints.

All that being said, I'd rather the Saints go a different direction based on this guy's character.  I trust Payton.   I just hope they address QB in this draft.

Dumb, same thing people said last year when I argued nobody would sign him as a starter.

No evidence? The guy has played terrible, nobody signed him last year and the saints played a gadget player over him at qb. Lol, and I’m the biased one. Wake up to reality.

 

[habsfan]

Winston deserves to be employed but his development hit a glass ceiling and it will be difficult to convince anyone that coaching or system or a change of scenery is suddenly going to cause him to break through that ceiling. The safe bet is that he is what he is and will continue to make the kind of poor decisions that make play-off teams not play-off teams.

 

[ffmail4me]

Dumb, same thing people said last year when I argued nobody would sign him as a starter.

No evidence? The guy has played terrible, nobody signed him last year and the saints played a gadget player over him at qb. Lol, and I’m the biased one. Wake up to reality.

And yet the person's opinion who matters the most, his head coach, said he was a leader and they loved what they saw all year in practice. So I think its safe to trust Sean Payton over your take on this. 

 

[King of the Jungle]

I see Winston with a Fitzpatrick-like career...floating around...starting as rookies develop or after starters get hurt...having some amazing FF stretches....but never really grabbing the reigns again for a franchise.

 

[habsfan]

And yet the person's opinion who matters the most, his head coach, said he was a leader and they loved what they saw all year in practice. So I think its safe to trust Sean Payton over your take on this. 

Evidently they didn't love what they saw in practice enough to play him during Brees' multi game absence. Wouldn't you be looking for a level of love that keeps Taysom Hill on the bench?

 

[Capella]

Evidently they didn't love what they saw in practice enough to play him during Brees' multi game absence. Wouldn't you be looking for a level of love that keeps Taysom Hill on the bench?

I mean that was the obvious fly in the ointment. They started a gadget running back over a guy who threw for 5000 yards the previous season. I’m sure Payton would like to have him back buy why would Jameis want to return? Provided he has any other starting options, and I have to assume a place like Indy will be desperate. 

 

[Born to Run]

I mean that was the obvious fly in the ointment. They started a gadget running back over a guy who threw for 5000 yards the previous season. I’m sure Payton would like to have him back buy why would Jameis want to return? Provided he has any other starting options, and I have to assume a place like Indy will be desperate. 

There are a number of desperate teams that fit this scenario (need a new QB, but pick too late in the draft to get a top prospect): Indy, WFT, Chi, SF..... Throw NO into the mix if Brees goes on sabbatical.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

New Orleans is about a billion dollars over the cap.  They're going to be in shambles very soon. 

This just got fixed from the Brees contract angle. 

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Way too much assumpin' makin' goin' on from a distance. Hill has a nice arm but it wasn't used much, it's used when he is the RB3/QB2, then it comes in handy. There was a lot of wasted space especially with Kamara when Hill played as well. I think the point of Hill was to see if he could be a legit NFL backup and I think he passed that test. He did not pass the starter test. We'll see Winston start next year and the fact that the deep ball will be back could reinvorgate the offense. With Brees and Hill the Saints were still 5th in points scored.

 

[Capella]

There are a number of desperate teams that fit this scenario (need a new QB, but pick too late in the draft to get a top prospect): Indy, WFT, Chi, SF..... Throw NO into the mix if Brees goes on sabbatical.

I would think those first 3 teams, particularly Indy, having a lot of interest in him. Much different landscape than last season. 

 

[nightmare]

This just got fixed from the Brees contract angle. 

The Saints are now $79 million over the cap. The currant (projected) cap is $180 million.

That could change if the NFLPA agrees to it.

 

[ffmail4me]

I would think those first 3 teams, particularly Indy, having a lot of interest in him. Much different landscape than last season. 

This can't be overstated. COMPELTELY different situation this year.  With so many  teams wanting to upgrade that position I don't see how a former #1 overall QB who threw for over 5000 yards and 30 TDs is going to have a problem getting a starting job. I don't see how anyone can think otherwise honestly.   And I wonder if behind closed doors he tells the Saints he's only interested in resigning if he is given the starting job. 

 

[Faust]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Saints QB Jameis Winston is "in the driver's seat" for the New Orleans starting quarterback job.

Drew Brees has not made his retirement official yet but all indications are that he is done playing in the NFL. That leaves the starting QB job up for grabs in New Orleans. Taysom Hill was the only quarterback other than Brees to start in 2020 but Winston reportedly impressed the staff in practice. Hill made four starts and threw the ball well while adding a dynamic element with his running ability. Winston attempted just 12 passes on the year but did make a nice touchdown throw on a trick play in the playoffs. The Saints may not be able to keep Winston if the market for him is hot. They are currently working with a projected deficit of over $70 million for 2021. If there aren't many suitors for Winston in free agency, he looks like the clear favorite to start for New Orleans in 2021.

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Feb 7, 2021, 10:43 AM ET

 

[Shawnky]

Dumb, same thing people said last year when I argued nobody would sign him as a starter.

No evidence? The guy has played terrible, nobody signed him last year and the saints played a gadget player over him at qb. Lol, and I’m the biased one. Wake up to reality.

Fitting name as your response not only has nothing to do with my post, but is void of logic and reason.   A nobody on a message board knows more than a players teammates and coach lol

 

[Grahamburn]

More TDs against the Bucs in the playoffs than Patrick Mahomes.

 

[The Frankman]

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Jameis Winston is the "likely starter" for the Saints.

A normal Sunday afternoon for the Saints. Drew Brees finally announced his retirement, and the Saints trolled us by giving Taysom Hill a four-year, $140 million extension. Hill's contract is just funny money, however, because it's filled with void years. The Saints just punted some 2021 money into next year to help get under this year's salary cap, nothing more. While Winston hasn't re-signed yet, the league-wide expectation is that a deal will get done. Winston has a lot of potential behind an elite offensive line with some splashy play-makers, but his deal could be incentive-driven and his leash could be short with Hill being a coaching staff favorite.

- Ian Rapoport, Twitter