5 teams that should consider signing Jameis Winston

5. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are somewhat of a long shot, but they’re worth mentioning. If general manager Chris Ballard wants to replace Jacoby Brissett and doesn’t see value in the incoming rookie crop, Winston makes sense. He’s much younger than the alternatives such as Tom Brady or Philip Rivers.

4. New England Patriots

Obviously, this is entirely dependent on whether Tom Brady comes back or takes off. If he leaves, head coach Bill Belichick — the league’s oldest active coach — may not be looking to bring in a rookie. If he can fix Winston’s biggest issues, he could suddenly turn the former Florida State star into a champion at the next level. There’s no denying Winston has immense talent, and with Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels running the show, he could take the proverbial leap.

3. Chicago Bears

Have you seen Mitchell Trubisky? Let’s just say there is room for improvement. If the Bears have seen enough of Trubisky — privately their stance may be well different than their patient, public one — Winston would be an intriguing fit. He’s athletic and strong-armed, making him a good fit for head coach Matt Nagy’s offense. The Bears are also without a first-round pick, so taking one of the top quarterbacks in the draft is out of the question. Winston would be an upgrade over Trubisky, even without fixing the turnover problems.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

If the Bucs let Winston get away, the Chargers should be on line 1. Los Angeles desperately needs to figure out the future of its quarterback position, and with Philip Rivers leaving in free agency, there’s a certain amount of urgency. General manager Tom Telesco could decide to go into the draft for his answer, taking either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick. However, if he wants to go with a veteran, Winston would be a smart choice.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is the obvious answer. Yes, the Buccaneers and head coach Bruce Arians has to be frustrated with his constant turnovers, but Winston is only entering the prime of his career. He wouldn’t be the first quarterback to learn better decision-making going along. It’s not likely he’s ever Alex Smith in terms of avoiding mistakes, but if Tampa Bay can get him to throw 20 instead of 30 picks, he’d be one of the best signal-callers in the game. A very tough decision for general manager Jason Licht, to be sure.