I'm surprised that no one has signed Jameis Winston. I get that he throws a lot of interceptions, so NFL decision-makers have a different perspective on the guy than me, a fantasy football writer. But if you can set aside the turnovers (and clearly Bruce Arians couldn't), he's been pretty impressive.
Winston has been in the league since 2015. In his five-year career, he's averaged 292 total yards and nearly 2 TDs per game. That works out to over 23 fantasy points (1 point for 20 passing and 10 rushing yards, 4-point TD passes). Among quarterbacks with at least 20 starts in those five seasons, that's 10th. The only guys better than him have been among the very best and decorated quarterbacks in the NFL over that span.
QUARTERBACKS PER START, 2015-2019 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | St | PYd | RYd | TD | INT | Pts |
Lamar Jackson | 22 | 193.2 | 80.1 | 2.36 | .41 | 28.1 |
Patrick Mahomes | 31 | 303.6 | 16.1 | 2.58 | .58 | 27.5 |
Deshaun Watson | 37 | 259.8 | 32.9 | 2.30 | .76 | 26.4 |
Andrew Luck | 38 | 281.9 | 18.0 | 2.29 | 1.05 | 25.4 |
Cam Newton | 63 | 232.0 | 35.5 | 1.98 | .86 | 24.0 |
Drew Brees | 73 | 292.9 | .9 | 2.21 | .59 | 23.9 |
Ben Roethlisberger | 58 | 295.0 | 3.4 | 1.95 | 1.02 | 23.6 |
Russell Wilson | 80 | 247.3 | 26.5 | 2.05 | .53 | 23.6 |
Aaron Rodgers | 71 | 258.7 | 18.2 | 2.06 | .38 | 23.5 |
Jameis Winston | 70 | 277.0 | 14.5 | 1.83 | 1.21 | 23.2 |
Matt Ryan | 79 | 291.4 | 7.5 | 1.84 | .71 | 22.9 |
Tom Brady | 76 | 280.4 | 2.8 | 2.07 | .47 | 22.9 |
Dak Prescott | 64 | 246.5 | 19.1 | 1.84 | .56 | 22.4 |
Kirk Cousins | 79 | 266.8 | 6.4 | 1.92 | .66 | 22.2 |
Carson Palmer | 38 | 286.4 | 1.9 | 1.87 | .84 | 22.1 |
Josh Allen | 27 | 188.5 | 41.3 | 1.74 | .78 | 22.1 |
Blake Bortles | 60 | 245.0 | 22.2 | 1.68 | .97 | 21.7 |
Philip Rivers | 80 | 282.7 | 1.2 | 1.81 | .95 | 21.7 |
Carson Wentz | 56 | 253.4 | 14.0 | 1.79 | .63 | 21.6 |
Ryan Fitzpatrick | 50 | 252.3 | 16.0 | 1.74 | 1.10 | 21.5 |
Matthew Stafford | 72 | 268.2 | 8.3 | 1.78 | .68 | 21.5 |
Baker Mayfield | 29 | 253.5 | 9.4 | 1.79 | 1.21 | 21.1 |
Jared Goff | 54 | 263.3 | 4.0 | 1.72 | .78 | 20.8 |
Ryan Tannehill | 50 | 235.6 | 12.6 | 1.78 | .76 | 20.6 |
Jimmy Garoppolo | 26 | 259.1 | 4.4 | 1.69 | .81 | 20.5 |
Andy Dalton | 69 | 244.0 | 8.7 | 1.68 | .75 | 20.2 |
Tyrod Taylor | 46 | 199.2 | 36.1 | 1.43 | .39 | 20.0 |
Alex Smith | 56 | 235.9 | 20.6 | 1.43 | .45 | 20.0 |
Of course, you can't dismiss all the interceptions. In those same five seasons, Winston averaged 1.2 interceptions per game. That's the worst rate in the league.
INTERCEPTIONS PER START, 2015-2019 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | St | PYd | RYd | TD | INT | Pts |
Jameis Winston | 70 | 277.0 | 14.5 | 1.83 | 1.21 | 23.2 |
Baker Mayfield | 29 | 253.5 | 9.4 | 1.79 | 1.21 | 21.1 |
Ryan Fitzpatrick | 50 | 252.3 | 16.0 | 1.74 | 1.10 | 21.5 |
Sam Darnold | 26 | 226.5 | 7.7 | 1.50 | 1.08 | 18.6 |
Andrew Luck | 38 | 281.9 | 18.0 | 2.29 | 1.05 | 25.4 |
Ben Roethlisberger | 58 | 295.0 | 3.4 | 1.95 | 1.02 | 23.6 |
Brock Osweiler | 30 | 220.4 | 7.9 | 1.10 | 1.00 | 16.5 |
Blaine Gabbert | 21 | 204.6 | 21.0 | 1.24 | 1.00 | 17.7 |
Blake Bortles | 60 | 245.0 | 22.2 | 1.68 | .97 | 21.7 |
Trevor Siemian | 25 | 221.6 | 7.0 | 1.16 | .96 | 16.6 |
Philip Rivers | 80 | 282.7 | 1.2 | 1.81 | .95 | 21.7 |
Jay Cutler | 34 | 217.2 | 7.6 | 1.32 | .88 | 17.0 |
Eli Manning | 67 | 257.8 | 1.6 | 1.63 | .88 | 19.7 |
Joe Flacco | 59 | 246.4 | 3.4 | 1.29 | .86 | 18.3 |
Cam Newton | 63 | 232.0 | 35.5 | 1.98 | .86 | 24.0 |
Carson Palmer | 38 | 286.4 | 1.9 | 1.87 | .84 | 22.1 |
Jimmy Garoppolo | 26 | 259.1 | 4.4 | 1.69 | .81 | 20.5 |
Jared Goff | 54 | 263.3 | 4.0 | 1.72 | .78 | 20.8 |
Josh Allen | 27 | 188.5 | 41.3 | 1.74 | .78 | 22.1 |
Josh McCown | 27 | 240.6 | 9.8 | 1.56 | .78 | 19.9 |
Ryan Tannehill | 50 | 235.6 | 12.6 | 1.78 | .76 | 20.6 |
Deshaun Watson | 37 | 259.8 | 32.9 | 2.30 | .76 | 26.4 |
Andy Dalton | 69 | 244.0 | 8.7 | 1.68 | .75 | 20.2 |
Case Keenum | 52 | 227.8 | 5.8 | 1.27 | .75 | 17.2 |
Nick Foles | 24 | 201.1 | 2.5 | 1.00 | .75 | 14.6 |
Marcus Mariota | 61 | 214.5 | 22.1 | 1.44 | .72 | 19.2 |
Matt Ryan | 79 | 291.4 | 7.5 | 1.84 | .71 | 22.9 |
Mitchell Trubisky | 41 | 208.6 | 21.0 | 1.34 | .71 | 18.5 |
Matthew Stafford | 72 | 268.2 | 8.3 | 1.78 | .68 | 21.5 |
Sam Bradford | 34 | 246.6 | 2.8 | 1.29 | .68 | 17.8 |
Kirk Cousins | 79 | 266.8 | 6.4 | 1.92 | .66 | 22.2 |
Derek Carr | 78 | 250.3 | 5.2 | 1.60 | .64 | 19.7 |
Brian Hoyer | 22 | 234.5 | 2.2 | 1.32 | .64 | 17.3 |
Carson Wentz | 56 | 253.4 | 14.0 | 1.79 | .63 | 21.6 |
Drew Brees | 73 | 292.9 | .9 | 2.21 | .59 | 23.9 |
Patrick Mahomes | 31 | 303.6 | 16.1 | 2.58 | .58 | 27.5 |
Dak Prescott | 64 | 246.5 | 19.1 | 1.84 | .56 | 22.4 |
Teddy Bridgewater | 22 | 207.0 | 10.7 | 1.23 | .55 | 16.7 |
Russell Wilson | 80 | 247.3 | 26.5 | 2.05 | .53 | 23.6 |
Tom Brady | 76 | 280.4 | 2.8 | 2.07 | .47 | 22.9 |
Alex Smith | 56 | 235.9 | 20.6 | 1.43 | .45 | 20.0 |
Lamar Jackson | 22 | 193.2 | 80.1 | 2.36 | .41 | 28.1 |
Jacoby Brissett | 32 | 196.8 | 17.5 | 1.25 | .41 | 17.2 |
Tyrod Taylor | 46 | 199.2 | 36.1 | 1.43 | .39 | 20.0 |
Aaron Rodgers | 71 | 258.7 | 18.2 | 2.06 | .38 | 23.5 |
But is it really impossible that these things can be coached out of Winston? Can't he be developed past it by a patient coaching staff? Look at the quarterbacks that are up in his range, including generally favorably regarded youngsters Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Should their teams also be planning to move on from them?
Winston is 26 years old. He's a prolific passer. Yes, he's been a prolific interception-thrower.
I just find it hard to fully marry the fact that when the season starts we're going to potentially see Mitchell Trubisky/Nick Foles, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer/Jarrett Stidham, and Teddy Bridgewater leading offenses into battle, but not Winston. It's surprising that no one is inclined to give him a shot right now.