Jameis Winston free agency tracker Top l
There was a time not too long ago that had just completed his first season as the No. 1 overall pick of the and was headed toward a bright future. If you polled Buccaneers fans after Winston's rookie 2015 season, you'd likely get a similar positive reaction from the majority. There were aspects of his game that needed to be cleaned up, but from what he flashed as a rookie, it seemed like good times were finally ahead for a Buccaneers franchise that had fallen short on luck at the quarterback position time and time again. Fast forward to the 2020 offseason and the narrative surrounding Winston
Derek Mackenzie Men Jersey among the Tampa fanbase had changed abruptly -- but not nearly as fast as the franchise's decision to move on from their former No. 1 pick and sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.Winston's first-ever pa s in the resulted in a pick-six. The final pa s of his 2019 season and likely of his Buccaneers career also resulted in a pick-six. This capped offFive years later, he's still the same type of quarterback he was when he entered the league. Although he won't be returning to Tampa, Winston will be signing with a new team this offseason.With all that in mind, we decided to create a one-stop destination for everything you need to know about Winston's first trip to free agency. Scroll down below to check out the best landing spots for Winston, his projected market value, a scouting report, and the latest news and rumors. We begin with potential destinations. Top free agent landing spots for Winston There are several teams that may have had some interest in signing Winston earlier this offseason, but those teams have since moved on and acquired other quarterbacks. The fallout leaves just a few teams in need of Winston's services as a starting quarterback. Ultimately, he may have to decide on accepting a job as a clear-cut No. 2 quarterback or on a roster with a No. 1 quarterback he can hope to beat out in camp, the preseason, or at some point during the regular season. These five teams stand out as the top remaining landing spots for Winston. New England PatriotsPittsburgh SteelersDetroit Lions New
Mackenzie Weegar Jersey Orleans SaintsBuffalo BillsProjected market value for Winston in free agencyAccording to Spotrac, for an average annual salary of $26.8 million -- basically, kind of money and it's not going to happen now that he has been sitting on the free agent market for over a week and nearly every starting quarterback job has been claimed. Look for Winston to sign something in the one-year, $7-10 million range. Scouting report (pros and cons)Pros He's got a huge arm and he's not afraid to use it. He averaged 8.2 yards per attempt (sixth) and , per Next Gen Stats. Only Stafford averaged more air yards per attempt (10.7).He finds the end zone. He and his 33 touchdown pa ses in 2019 were second to only 36.He's very athletic and mobile. It helps him create big chunk plays by extending the play behind the line of scrimmage.He can create yards and touchdowns with his legs too. He's averaged 208.8 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns per season in his career, so he's not afraid to take off and run. Since he entered the NFL, Again, from a physical standpoint, there's not much to dislike about Winston, who has the look of a perfect quarterback for the modern NFL.Cons Decision making is his biggest i sue. Speaking of that big arm, it often gets him in trouble. He creates a ton of big plays, but he also turns the ball over way too much by forcing it into traffic. He just threw 30 interceptions, seven of which were pick-sixes. Since he entered the league, . The next closest player, Philip Rivers, has thrown 76 in that span. He's the most interception-prone quarterback
Anton Stralman Women Jersey in the league by a wide margin.He's not secure with the football either. Winston fumbled 12 times this past season. His 50 fumbles since 2015 ranks first among quarterbacks -- . In short, nobody turns the ball over more than Winston. It's difficult to win in the NFL with a quarterback who gives the ball away as often as Winston does.His accuracy can, at times, be erratic. In 2019, he posted a which ranked in the middle of the pack, right in between and , per Next Gen Stats. His interceptions aren't always about decision making. Sometimes they're about poorly placed throws.Free agent timeline (updates, rumors, news)Winston bids farewell to the Tampa faithfulMar. 21: After news broke that Brady had signed with the Bucs, Winston reacted gracefully on social media. for the Bucs fans who supported him throughout along the way.Bucs have a plan; but are keeping Winston in the darkFeb. 25: At the combine, . Our Jordan Dajani has the details:During media availability on Tuesday ahead of the Combine, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was asked if he would let Winston reach free agency without a franchise tag. He responded that he hasn't made that decision yet, and will once he knows who else is available. Arians also said that they should know a lot more next week.Shortly after his pre s conference, Arians joined NFL Network
Connor Brickley Kids Jersey for another interview. He indicated to Andrew Siciliano that the Buccaneers know exactly what they are doing at the quarterback position, but that Winston does not know their plan. Per Ian Rapoport, Arians said that the team is doing their to make sure they enter 2020 with the quarterback they are 100 percent confident in under center.Reading between the lines, it certainly sounds like Arians would like to sign a better quarterback than Winston, but understands that he might be forced to run it back with Winston again in 2020.Bucs
Jonathan Huberdeau Men Jersey could keep Winston on a two-year deal Feb. 20: ESPN's Jenna Laine reported that , with the second year being a team option. The Bucs have also entertained the idea of a two-year deal with the first year guaranteed and the second year being a team option for Jameis Winston, per sources. The first year would be roughly the same as the franchise tag $27 million. JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) As also noted above, the Buccaneers could hit Winston with the transition tag, which is cheaper than the franchise tag and would give them a chance to match any offer that Winston garners from another team. Bruce Arians refuses to commit to Winston Feb. 13: The Buccaneers coach never minces words, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise to hear that he recently refused to commit to Winston as his quarterback of the future. Arians knows there are a ton of moving pieces this offseason, so "No, because you don't know who's available," Arians . "You're just sitting and waiting to see, is there someone available? And is he a better option? "That's the problem. You get about three days to decide -- the legal tampering (period). Is somebody else