First things first. Go ahead and get your initial outbursts of laughing out now. Also, tell me Jameis Winston isn’t even the backup quarterback. Technically, that is true. Moreover, come at me with the “Say No to Drugs” sarcasm. Surely, it’s coming my way. Come at me and get it out of your system now. The doubt about Winston is there. No doubt, the elephant is in the room.
Jameis Winston Can Be a Hall of Famer
Just remember this–when Winston signed his contract with the New Orleans Saints, there was a vitriolic response. Some of the slander included: too controversial, immature, and way too many interceptions. This response came immediately when the news broke. Of course, the fact he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t help either. The only positive there–thankfully the team wasn’t the Atlanta Falcons. Thank God for that…
Ironically, Winston as it stands right now isn’t the most controversial quarterback on the roster. And make no mistake, this is no knock on Drew Brees. Things have gotten a bit complicated these last few months. Basically, the best explanation for all that’s happened about Brees’ character is delusional perception. What’s real, may not exactly be the way things are or will be in the future. Regardless, Winston could actually come in under the radar.
Slow Starts Give Way to Great Finishes
Now to the reasons why Winston has the potential to be great. With the right focus, the Hall of Fame is not just a pipe dream. And here is just one precedent. Back in 1989, a quarterback was drafted from a certain NFL team. His first three years brought fear into any coaches’ mindset. Nothing statistically gave any sense of jaw-dropping talent. In the first three years, he compiled a 14-24 record with a 58% completion percentage and 31 touchdowns versus 38 interceptions.
In today’s world, the second year may have not even happened. Furthermore, he was sacked 90 times. Who was it? The quarterback came from UCLA and was drafted first overall–Troy Aikman. Now, the generation Aikman played in differed greatly. The running game dominated the NFL back then. Still, Aikman turned out to be a Hall of Famer with multiple Super Bowls.
To make this argument clear, Jamies Winston is no Troy Aikman. The evidence, however, does prove a quarterback can hit a stride after a few bad years. Winston came out at 21 years old too. Coincidentally, he is the same age now when Aikman hit his stride back in the day.
Statistics Point to a Higher Ceiling With Help
Now, forward to current day 2020. Winston’s career hasn’t lived up to the expectations up to this point. There is no sugar coating this. That being said, some of the reasons lie underneath the surface. Experts claim Cam Newton‘s signing with the New England Patriots surpassed the hope of Winston being even in the conversation. However, digest some of the numbers here.
When Jameis Winston played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their rushing offense ranked 15th, 27th, 32nd, 32nd, and 11th.
Cam Newton with the Carolina Panthers during a six-period 2013-2018: 20th, 9th, 21st, 4th, 6th, and 3rd respectfully.
Obviously, Newton had a lot more help in the running game. Now add the defensive rankings.
Tampa Bay ranked 15th, 27th, 32nd, 22nd, and 11th.
Carolina ranked 20th, 9th, 21st, 4th, 6th, and 3rd.
It’s not even close how much better the Carolina Panthers were in helping Cam Newton.
Cam Newton deserves praise for being a good quarterback. On the other hand, the statistics show certain luxuries benefited Newton and hurt Winston. Either way, the potential is there. Winston is now with a better team. And being behind a future Hall of Famer, Drew Brees will benefit him to a large degree.
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