I am sitting here with QB Jameis Winston on the IR for the rest of the year in my PPR superflex dynasty league, and asking myself, Should I keep him?
From the fantasy perspective, we know his upside, from 2019 in Tampa: 5109 passing yards, 33 td’s, 30 int’s. It was that last stat that got him run out of Tampa, although I could gladly live with that for the rest of his upside. Put him on the right team, and he can do a lot. He also had 250 rushing yards and 1 rushing td that season (not exciting, but better than Brady).
This season, he showed some promise before his injury, albeit in a very controlled, game-manager system: In 7 games, 1170 passing yards, 14 td’s, 3 int’s, 166 rushing yards and 1 rush td.
The key to Winston is to learn how to use his improvisation as needed to win games, while mostly remaining in control to manage the game properly. But will he get the chance?
Somewhere is a team that will give him the chance. He only had a one-year deal with New Orleans, so unless they re-sign him, he will be a free agent after this season. Where are some possible 2022 destinations? In no particular order…
New Orleans: Let’s start with the obvious. New Orleans SHOULD re-sign him. Frankly, he’s better than anything they have, and he knows the system. Starting from scratch with a rookie could take years. They should draft him some better pass protection, and a receiver or two.
Pittsburgh: Can you imagine Winston with the stable of receivers in Pittsburgh? Heck, he might even throw for 6000 yards! Dream landing spot.
Indianapolis: Time to call it what it is: The Carson Wentz experiment is a fail. Bring in Winston, and watch those Indy receivers shine like they can.
Houston: If Winston is a free agent, I can’t see him signing in Houston unless he gets no calls from any other team. This is the nightmare scenario for Winston.
Denver: As a Raider fan, I dread having to face Winston with the Broncos. And Denver has the receivers to allow Winston to shine.
Philadelphia: Winston would be an upgrade over Jalen Hurts. As good as Hurts is for fantasy, a QB has to be able to pass at the end of the day, and Hurts really hasn’t shown that (Hurts needs to go to Baltimore and tutor under Lamar Jackson). With D. Smith and Goeddert to throw to, Winston should do ok, although Philly needs some more help.
Washington: An intriguing option. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a similar style of QB to Winston, so Winston could have appeal there. And the offense around him would be solid. Would WFT give up on Fitzpatrick so soon? Dan Snyder is the kid in the candy store owner. Of course he could.
Green Bay: Don’t laugh. If Rodgers leaves like he wants to, Green Bay might need a QB. Frankly, the fact they have been dragging their heels on getting rid of Rodgers speaks volumes about what they see in Jordan Love. I’m not saying he’s a bust, but it’s clear that he is developing slowly. This weekend’s game against KC will be telling: If the Packers run a lot and keep the passing simple, it means they don’t trust Love, even against KC’s porous defense. If Love has a bad game, then suddenly an opening appears, and Winston would be a good choice for here. They already had one maverick QB named Favre some years ago.
Lions: I can only pray for Winston that he doesn’t take this option. Detroit is where careers die.
Carolina: Yet another failed experiment: Sam Darnold is NOT the solution. Sure, he’s ok when you have CMC destroying his body out there. But without CMC, Darnold is woefully revealed. Winston to DJ Moore has some potential.
Atlanta: Matt Ryan isn’t getting any younger, although most of his problems stem from a rebuilding offense. You can only throw to Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson so many times before defenses figure you out (Come back Calvin! We miss you!). Tossing Ryan aside isn’t the right solution, but nobody ever accused Atlanta of always choosing the best path (hello Mike Davis!). I consider this a low probability as a Winston destination, but still interesting.
Overall, there are too many teams for rookie QB’s to walk into next year and hope to make a difference (this doesn’t even count teams who might grab a decent rookie QB in the draft just as future replacements for their current QB). This is why Jameis Winston is still valuable, and will land somewhere next season, and hence why I am keeping him on my IR this season.
Under no circumstances I would cut Jameis in a 2QB/SFLEX league. People try to tell me the QB market is oversaturated for years now, and I keep laughing at them because of all the reasons you listed above.
You could add even more teams to that list. The Jets, as Zach Wilson looks horrible (though they may have something in Mike White). The Dolphins, if they don’t get Deshaun Watson. I’m not saying they should move on from Tua, but it doesn’t look like they have full confidence in him.
The Titans, because Tannehill is no more than a game manager, and that doesn’t work without the injury-prone CMC. The Vikings, who will have to move on from Cousins sooner rather than later (though they may give Kellen Mond a shot).
And even the Rams (health), Bucs and Seahawks (age) will have to think about a QB solution sooner or later, though probably not next year.
I don’t think the Colts will step away from Wentz, though. And I would put at least an asterisk on the Packers. They are the one team that takes their sweet time to develop rookies. They sat Rodgers for 3 full years, with only 1 half game in year 3 when he had to step in for an injured Favre in Q2 against the Cowboys. And while he did look competent, he certainly didn’t look like he was the guy to set new standards at the QB position for years to come.
Will Love be able to step into Aaron Rodgers’ footsteps? We don’t know, and we won’t know even after this weekend. The Packers are not a team to make rushed moves on the free agent market, though, so I wouldn’t bet on Jameis or any other veteran getting signed by them, unless it’s in a backup function.
Ironic you mention him, since Mike White is currently my Jameis replacement.
I didn’t include the Dolphins in my list for a specific reason: I was reading how the negotiations went down with the Texans, and I felt bad for the Dolphins. The Texans really burned that bridge when they had a deal worked out, and then pulled some used car salesman crap by changing it at the last second. I don’t see Deshaun going anywhere until his contract ends.
The Dolphins are stuck with Tua until he fails, and I’m not sure he will completely fail. He’s still a young QB, but I see his problem not as mental, but rather his health. He seems injury prone. But this is another discussion entirely.
You’re confusing me here. You mean the Titans or the Panthers? I discussed the Panthers above. And Henry hasn’t proven (yet) to be injury-prone, although I think the Titans should lighten his workload some. As for Tannehill, it’s hard to say whether he’s a bust. His floor seems middle of the pack. I don’t see the Titans replacing him next year, although they might sneak in a draft pick for a QB replacement.
I didn’t mention the Vikings for that very reason. Cousins is doing ok, and they have a replacement on the bench, maybe.
I have to disagree with you there. I saw that game, and remember it vividly. Rodgers stepped in and looked BETTER than Favre. It annoyed me how the announcers could only gush about Favre’s injury, as Rodgers took control of that offense and made them look better, playing mistake-free football. Even since that game, I always hated Favre.
I agree with you here. Unless Love totally blows it, it’s hard to see the Packers rushing anything.
True enough, but it felt like the announcers were completely ignoring a good QB performance in favor of a love letter to a prima donna QB whose day had passed. It was disgusting.
