{"id":104659,"date":"2021-02-22T06:44:20","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T11:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=104659"},"modified":"2022-02-02T18:29:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T23:29:15","slug":"jameis-winston-free-agent-team-fits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/22\/jameis-winston-free-agent-team-fits\/","title":{"rendered":"Jameis Winston Free Agent Team Fits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Free agency hasn\u2019t even started, yet quarterbacks are already on the move. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/lions\" target=\"_self\">Detroit Lions<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/eagles\" target=\"_self\">Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/18\/carson-wentz-traded-to-the\/\" target=\"_self\">already traded<\/a> their former franchise quarterbacks, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/21\/nfl-rumors-aaron-rodgers-derek-carr-contracts\/\" target=\"_self\">rumors across the league<\/a> say that Marcus Mariota is next in line. There is going to be a lot of demand for free agent quarterbacks, and Jameis Winston is the best of the bunch. After spending 2020 as a backup, the former first-overall pick should have plenty of suitors willing to let him compete for a starting job.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;5011&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2>2021 Free Agent Team Fits: Jameis Winston<\/h2>\n<h4>New England Patriots<\/h4>\n<p>After 20 years of stability at the NFL\u2019s most important position, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/patriots\/\" target=\"_self\">New England Patriots<\/a> now enter their second consecutive offseason looking for their long-term answer under center. Cam Newton wasn\u2019t the primary problem in New England \u2013 nobody could succeed with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/30\/why-the-new-england-patriots-should-stick-with-cam-newton-next-season\/\" target=\"_self\">that terrible supporting cast<\/a> \u2013 but there is certainly room for improvement. Winston is younger and has put up similar efficiency numbers to Newton over the course of his career. There is a chance \u2013 albeit a slim one \u2013 that Winston turns into the long-term answer under center, and New England has the cap space to outbid anyone for his services.<\/p>\n<h4>New Orleans Saints<\/h4>\n<p>On paper, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/saints\" target=\"_self\">New Orleans Saints<\/a> are a perfect fit for Jameis Winston. After spending the 2021 season backing up Drew Brees, Winston should have a full mastery of the system and he definitely has the talent. However, Drew Brees hasn\u2019t officially said that he\u2019s retired, and Winston couldn\u2019t beat out Taysom Hill when Brees was injured last year. When combining these factors with the fact that New Orleans is <a href=\"https:\/\/overthecap.com\/salary-cap-space\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">$70 million over the cap<\/a>, then it\u2019s easy to see Winston leaving for a higher bidder.<\/p>\n<h4>Washington Football Team<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/washington-football-team\" target=\"_self\">Washington Football Team<\/a> signed <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/02\/10\/taylor-heinicke-signs-with-washington-football-team\/\" target=\"_self\">Taylor Heinicke to a modest contract<\/a>, but he\u2019s not going to stop the team from looking for a better option under center. Heinicke played well in the NFC Wild Card Round, but it was only one game. There is no guarantee that he can maintain that success over a full season, and bringing in Winston ensures that Washington will have a solid passer under center in 2021. This quarterback battle would be one the most interesting storylines in the NFL if this signing actually happened.<\/p>\n<h4>Denver Broncos<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/broncos\" target=\"_self\">Denver Broncos<\/a> desperately want <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LockDr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drew Lock<\/a> to be the long-term answer at quarterback. While the former second-round pick has had his share of impressive plays, he also makes quite a few bone-headed decisions and, overall, leaves a lot to be desired. Lock is a young player, so there is still time for him to improve. However, the Broncos need to have a Plan B in case Lock doesn\u2019t take the next step. This team has a lot of talent, and Winston could have a great season throwing to the talented trio of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SuttCo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Courtland Sutton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JeudJe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerry Jeudy<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FantNo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Noah Fant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>Chicago Bears<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TrubMi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitchell Trubisky<\/a> Era in Chicago is finally coming to a close. After four underwhelming seasons, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/bears\" target=\"_self\">Bears<\/a> are finally set to bring in some real competition at quarterback. Matt Nagy gets a lot of hate in the NFL community, but he still managed to guide a Trubisky-led offense to the playoffs in two of his three years as head coach. Perhaps, with a better quarterback, Nagy could open up his scheme and turn the Bears into a legitimate competitor.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"PJwzX3iMQvdcsrSvzb7dIQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1296939552\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'PJwzX3iMQvdcsrSvzb7dIQ',sig:'vypH03n2llBYa2CWaDLYOcZLUDObWmbesVao16oATRk=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1296939552',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After spending the season backing up Drew Brees in New Orleans, free agent Jameis Winston should have plenty of interest on the open market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":104660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6431,23,15,54,5,28,8896,22],"tags":[7544,7309,116,7311,7334,1608,7385],"class_list":["post-104659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-teams","category-bears","category-broncos","category-editorials","category-patriots","category-saints","category-washington-commanders","category-washington-football-team","tag-chicago-bears-roster","tag-denver-broncos-roster","tag-jameis-winston","tag-new-england-patriots-roster","tag-new-orleans-saints-roster","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-washington-football-team-roster"],"modified_by":"Al Preziosi","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}