First lets talk about their options, with the Saints being $30+ million dollars over the cap before the start of the league year makes their options limited to three or four quarterbacks, depending on the retirement decision coming from Drew Brees. Those being:
Taysom Hill
With Taysom Hill being the only quarterback actually under contract for the '21 season his $16.3 million dollar cap hit will most likely make him the front runner for the position but his lack of experience could hinder him. During his time starting during the 2020 season he went 4-0 but did play a particularly easy stretch of games with one of those being the Denver Broncos when they started Kendall Hinton a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback. While he did win 4 games he never showed anything spectacular at the position. He is also handpicked by Sean Payton and Sean does not like to be proven wrong.
Jameis Winston
In the offseason of 2020 the saints signed Winston to a one year minimum deal to serve as the backup and when he did come in and play he showed sparks and flashes of what he was in 2019.
In that 2019 season with the Buccaneers, Winston went 7-9 as the starter while throwing 33 touchdowns and leading the league in passing yards with 5,109 yards. The negative is that he threw 30 interceptions, but he had Lasik surgery during the 2020 offseason and no one knows if his vision is what was hindering him in 2019. The Saints can bring him back at a reasonably low price and maybe even at the minimum again.
Cam Newton
Newton's stock dropped significantly in the eyes of fans this past season although his season was better than expected. (per PFF) Newton is nowhere near his 2015 MVP form but he is still a formidable player at the position. In 2020 he led the Patriots to a 7-8 record as a starter even though 13 players opted out of the season over concerns of the Covid19 virus and Cam contracting the virus himself, and he wasn't the same after he had it. The Saints could be able to get Newton at about the same price as Winston.
Teddy Bridgewater
The Panthers desperately want to move on from Teddy whether that be in the draft or through a trade which makes him a release candidate this offseason. If the Panthers do decide to release Teddy he won't come cheap to the Saints, there might be a market for him elsewhere which could spark a bidding war for the quarterback that would make it impossible for the Saints. Bridgewater knows the playbook and did go 5-0 in 2019 as a starter with the Saints. As it may be a longshot it is still an option.
In conclusion, Jameis is the clear choice to start for New Orleans. Give this man a chance with a talented team like the Saints and he will go out and throw 40 Touchdowns and even if he throws 20 interceptions the defense would hold better than the 2019 buccaneers defense could.
Predictions:
Hill 9-7
Winston 11-5
Newton 9-7
Bridgewater 7-9
Comments