Getty Jameis Winston
Would the New England Patriots take a chance on another dismissed former No. 1 overall pick? One former executive believes there is a chance.
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Mike Lombardi, who assisted the team in the front office from 2014-16, appeared on WEEI’s OMF and he talked about some potential quarterback options for the Patriots in the offseason.
Former Patriots tight end and OMF co-host Christian Fauria asked Lombardi about a few guys, but one answer stuck out. It was the one Lombardi gave about the New Orleans Saints’ Jameis Winston.
Lombardi: Winston Can Be Fixed
Fauria asked Lombardi about the prospects of Winston in New England, and he seemed surprised that the latter was open to the concept.
Lombardi said:
I think you can fix James Winston. I was thinking the Patriots might have an interest this offseason in Jameis Winston because I think he can be fixed.
Here is a look at the segment in the post below:
Many may forget, Winston was the No. 1 overall pick back in 2015.
While he’s had some problems with interceptions during his career, Winston threw for 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, and he led the NFL in passing yards last year with 5,109. Unfortunately, he also led the league in interceptions with 30 to go with his 33 touchdowns.
Winston has also had some off-the-field concerns, but he only turns 27 in January, and there has never been a question about his talent. Some seem to believe his time with the New Orleans Saints this past year may have helped his development.
Winston signed a 1-year, $1.1 million deal with the Saints to back up Drew Brees this season. However, when Brees went down with an injury earlier this season, Saints head coach Sean Payton turned to gadget QB Taysom Hill instead of Winston.
In turn, Winston has thrown just 11 passes this season, completing 7 of them for 75 yards, 0 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The experience may be akin to a college quarterback coming in to learn from an experienced veteran before getting his chance to take the reins.
However, when Winston steps into his next opportunity, it might not be with the Saints. Could the Patriots come calling? Lombardi seems to think so, and because of his prior connection to the organization, it’s a take worth remembering
Is the Book Closed on a Cam Newton Return or Jarrett Stidham?
All the talk about next season’s Patriots quarterback seems to assume the team is moving on from Cam Newton and completely ignores Jarrett Stidham’s presence.
It’s important to note, Bill Belichick has been nothing but supportive of Newton, and he’s not spoken as if Stidham has no place in the team’s future plans. While it is fun to talk about free-agent quarterbacks and to even fantasize about drafting rookie signal-callers in the first round, we don’t know for sure if the team is moving on from the guys they already have on the roster.