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Home » Blog » 5 teams that should sign Jameis Winston in NFL free agency

5 teams that should sign Jameis Winston in NFL free agency

Matt Verderame NFL

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a 38-year-old Ben Roethlisberger backed up by Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges. We all saw what happened when Roethlisberger got hurt last year. Hodges and Rudolph were both ineffective. Signing Winston as a reserve would immediately give Pittsburgh one of the best tandems in football, and a key insurance policy against another Big Ben ailment.

4. Detroit Lions

This makes too much sense to happen, especially when the Lions and sense are being put in the same sentence. Detroit desperately needs to punch up the roster, and while Winston would certainly be a backup to Matthew Stafford, he would give the Lions a real quarterback to play if Stafford goes down again. For years, Detroit has completely neglected the depth chart behind Stafford, who essentially has one more year on his contract before being a cap casualty option. If Winston were to play and play well in 2020, he could be a long-term option.

3. New England Patriots

Now we get to the starting options. The Patriots don’t appear to be in on Winston, but Bill Belichick might want to consider the following: Jarrett Stidham played sparingly as a rookie and although a mid-round rookie, he looked poor when inserted into the lineup. Brian Hoyer has been a valuable journeyman in his career, but last season played ugly football for the Indianapolis Colts.

Winston has his issues — 30 interceptions don’t happen by accident — but he’s a clear upgrade for that room. If New England wants to win another AFC East crown, Winston would help the cause.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

If the Chargers end up drafting a quarterback at No. 6 overall in the upcoming NFL Draft, this becomes a non-starter. However, Los Angeles could decide to take a franchise left tackle in Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, Andrew Thomas or Mekhi Becton instead, and leave quarterback to Tyrod Taylor and his competition. Winston should be said competition after throwing for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2019. Again, Winston will turn the ball over plenty, but he gives the Chargers a 26-year-old quarterback with upside on a loaded roster.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars moved on from Nick Foles this offseason, trading him to the Chicago Bears. This paves the way for Gardner Minshew to start in his second season. Still signing Winston would provide general manager Dave Caldwell with a fantastic backup plan should Minshew either get injured or struggle. This is, by far, the best destination for Winston.

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