So Yahoo's Charles Robinson reports that Jameis Winston is on the verge of signing a contract -- with the Saints, to back up Drew Brees. If there's a more surprising fit between team and quarterback, I'm not sure what it is.
On the bright side, it throws cold water on the fantasy that the Saints view Taysom Hill as their quarterback of the future. Hill will be 30 in August and has thrown 13 regular season passes. He was tendered at a first-round level so he could be retained for his gadget appeal in the Saints' current offense -- running, catching -- not because he's going to be their Week 1 starter in 2021.
Not that Winston necessarily will be either, but just as the Saints turned to Teddy Bridgewater when Brees got hurt last year, they'll likely turn to Winston, not Hill, if Brees gets hurt this year. If they do, it's a jarring juxtaposition.
Last year, Brees had the lowest turnover rate in the league, in terms of interceptions or lost fumbles per hit. Winston had the highest, by a wide margin, which is not surprising -- throwing 30 interceptions in 16 games really helps you stand out in this area.
But 2019 was hardly an anomaly for either player. Over the last three years, note the subtle differences between Brees' performance as a starting quarterback in terms of fumbles and interceptions, and Winston's.
| QUARTERBACK MISCUES, 2017-2019 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Fum | FumL | Int | TO |
| 2017 | Drew Brees | 5 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 2018 | Drew Brees | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 2019 | Drew Brees | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Brees Total | 10 | 1 | 17 | 18 | |
| 2017 | Jameis Winston | 15 | 7 | 11 | 18 |
| 2018 | Jameis Winston | 7 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| 2019 | Jameis Winston | 12 | 5 | 30 | 35 |
| Winston Total | 34 | 15 | 55 | 70 | |
Clearly, it's a great landing spot for Winston. The Saints are an NFC favorite to go the Super Bowl, and Brees has already signed up to join a broadcast booth in 2021 -- they'll be looking for a starter in New Orleans. A good showing in whatever kind of preseason we may happen to get could help Winston be Sean Payton's next quarterback.
All he needs to do is be the exact opposite of what he's been to this point in his career as far as turning it over.
--Andy Richardson