Winston Looking to Settle in Big Easy

The NFL Draft came to a close Saturday but that doesn’t mean that teams are done adding personnel to their offseason rosters. There will be the inevitable college free-agent signings to bring in guys that teams may have had interest in but didn’t draft because there were other holes they wanted to fill on their draft board. With that said, there are still some fairly big names on the market in free agency but it sounds like one of those is going to come off the board, landing in a surprising spot when you think about it.

Jameis Winston, who was a free agent and saw Tampa Bay not re-sign him after the acquisition of Tom Brady through free agency, is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Saints. Winston became the first QB to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season last year while racking up 5,109 yards for the Buccaneers in his first season under coach Bruce Arians. It’s an interesting decision by both sides when it comes to the former first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

For Winston, it’s a bit of a surprising move as he has had his ups and downs as a starter in five years with Tampa Bay. He threw for 19,737 yards with 121 touchdown passes and 88 interceptions while adding 1,044 yards and 10 scores on the ground. In addition, he lost 23 fumbles in that span for a total of 111 turnovers. The initial thought process was that Winston would be able to get a starting gig somewhere for more money but he seems intent on taking less money to learn from the Saints’ organization, led by Sean Payton and future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees. How the financial structure comes out will be interesting as the Saints are once again backed up against the wall as far as cap space goes. This could be another multi-year deal with voidable years to create a lower AAV while still getting Winston some cash.

For the Saints, it’s a deal that is an interesting acquisition as well. The team re-signed Taysom Hill to a two-year, $21 million deal on Sunday, keeping him in the mix for the next couple of seasons. He has provided a spark in a variety of roles and looked to have a good shot at winning the #2 QB job after Teddy Bridgewater signed with Carolina last month. However, the thought process for Payton has to bring in another QB to give the team three that they can have active every week in order to keep Hill’s versatility as a benefit to the team. It also gives the team a more proven option under center should Brees suffer an injury and miss time, as he did last season with a broken thumb.

This is a deal that could benefit the Saints as well, as Winston could net a compensatory draft pick next season should he spend just one year in the Big Easy and sign elsewhere. Having a more proven commodity would be beneficial as it would give the Saints a solid option to work behind Brees should he suffer an injury. It also gives Winston the ability to work with Brees in an effort to improve himself and perhaps put himself back on the market next season to get a starting job, either in New Orleans or elsewhere. There is no certainty as to whether Brees will be back next season as he’s 41 and turns 42 in January.

This is a crossroads for Winston, who had LASIK surgery to fix his nearsightedness in the offseason. He’ll turn 27 in January, 15 years younger than Brees, and if he puts together a decent showing in his time with the Saints, it could open some doors for him next offseason. He’ll be held accountable for his actions with the Saints more than he was in the Tampa Bay organization. There’s no better system to learn in than the one in New Orleans and few quarterbacks in the league on the same level as Brees. It’s a win-win for both sides as the Saints win in the short-term by having a viable option behind Brees on the depth chart. Meanwhile, it gives Winston valuable learning experience and a chance to rehabilitate himself after last season’s turnover-plagued campaign.