Getty Broncos president of football operations John Elway could make a run at Jameis Winston.
The Denver Broncos could figure to be a potential landing spot for one of the top quarterbacks on the market.
According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, ex-Pro Bowl QB and former No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston is a “logical” fit for the Broncos. Benjamin considers the 28-year-old to be the top QB on the free agency market.
However, Benjamin makes sure to warn that Winston appears to have a ceiling. He stresses that Winston is merely a “top-15 starter” and should be on a “one-year” trial run.
“Winston still has good size and physical tools, and his injury will likely keep his price tag down,” says Benjamin. “By all accounts, he’s also matured as a leader since his time in Tampa. But his ceiling feels pretty established: a top-15 starter on another one-year trial run.”
As a member of the New Orleans Saints, Winston suffered an ACL tear versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8 and missed the remainder of the season. At the time of his injury, the Saints had established a record of 5-2 and defeated the Buccaneers in his final start of the season.
Why the Broncos Could Avoid Signing Winston
While Winston clearly was playing a game-managing role — he threw just 167.1 yards per game, only the Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields averaged less passing yards per game among starters — he did excel. That is something he struggled to do in his prior stint as the starter for the Buccaneers, where he threw a league-high 30 interceptions in 2019.
Broncos fans might be iffy of this “logical” fit designation, because they went through it with Teddy Bridgewater as the QB in 2021. Needless to say, the results were middling as Bridgewater led the team to a 7-7 record and appeared incapable of leading the team to victories when games came down to the wire.
If the Broncos were to take a gamble and sign Winston rather than acquire a more dynamic QB — such as Aaron Rodgers or even Jimmy Garoppolo — Denver would appear to just repeating the same scenario that played out during the 2021 season.
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Why the Broncos Might Take a Chance on Winston
Benjamin also mentions that despite his clear game-managing role, Winston was taking care of the ball and throwing at a high touchdown rate. The high touchdown rate (8.7%) actually led the NFL and is in contrast to Bridgewater’s low TD rate (4.2%).
“Before a Week 8 ACL tear that ended his first season in New Orleans, the former No. 1 overall pick was on pace for the most efficient season of his career, throwing 14 touchdowns and just three picks during a 5-2 start, despite an iffy receiving corps,” explains Benjamin. “Critics would suggest the Saints won in part because of how little they leaned on his big arm, which made him a boom-or-bust starter during his five years with the Buccaneers.”
One can argue that if the Broncos do take a flier on Winston, they might see more of the Winston that threw for 33 touchdowns in 2019, while keeping the turnovers to a minimum.
If the Broncos do miss out on the bigger-name quarterbacks, they may be forced to sign yet another veteran off of the free agency market. Rather than re-sign Bridgewater, the Broncos would be better off taking a chance on the enigmatic Winston.