Jameis Winston A 'Perfect Fit' With Patriots, According To PFF
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- After a disappointing season out of Cam Newton, many Patriots fans are eager to move on to a new quarterback in 2021.
This might not be what they had in mind, though.
Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus put together a list of "perfect fit" free agents for all 32 teams. For the Patriots, he selected ... Jameis Winston.
Given the uncertainty of a top quarterback being available in the draft, Galina argued that the team will need a veteran quarterback.
"This move really comes down to Ryan Fitzpatrick or Jameis Winston," Galina wrote. "If it's Fitzpatrick, then it's a stopgap until they find their next true quarterback. With Winston, Bill Belichick might believe he can be the one who molds him into a real NFL quarterback. The tools are already there. Winston finished fourth in big-time throws in 2019 with 31, but he also led the league in turnover-worthy plays with 40. Someone is going to pay big money to try to fix this man."
Winston, of course, became the NFL's first 30-30 man when he threw 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions for the Buccaneers in 2019, his final season in Tampa before the team moved on to sign Tom Brady. Winston then went to New Orleans, where he was a third-stringer behind Drew Brees and Taysom Hill. Winston threw just 11 passes all season, before popping onto the field in the divisional round to throw a 56-yard touchdown pass against his former team.
Interestingly enough, Galina has Cam Newton as the "perfect fit" for the Saints, noting that Newton might have some overlap in skill-set with Hill.
For the Patriots, though, the idea of Winston being "the guy" might be a hard sell. As noted, he has the arm to make some incredible throws, but he's never protected the football particularly well, as evidenced by his 121 career touchdowns and 88 interceptions. His most successful season came in 2016, when the Bucs went 9-7; he's 19-35 in his other four seasons as a starter. He did lead the league in yards in 2019, but he also posted the second-worst passer rating of his career.
Winston underwent LASIK surgery following that 30-interception season, but his limited action in 2020 didn't allow for the world to see if that eyesight correction made a difference in his performance.
The Patriots are reportedly most hopeful that Jimmy Garoppolo suddenly becomes available via trade from San Francisco. But with that element out of their control, their choices among the veteran free agents are not exactly enthralling. Whether it's Winston, or Newton, or Fitzpatrick, or ... Andy Dalton, the quick-fix to get the Patriots back into Super Bowl contention has yet to materialize.
