The NFL world is still processing the news that Tom Brady is expected to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after officially ending his 20-year run with the New England Patriots.
The six-time Super Bowl champion will look to return the Bucs to the postseason for the first time since 2007, and his arrival will reignite a Bucs fan base ready for a return to the glory days.
But, let’s not forget that Brady’s arrival marks the end of Jameis Winston’s tenure with the Bucs. The former No. 1 overall pick is still without a home, and now that Teddy Bridgewater will be joining the Carolina Panthers, it seems that Cam Newton is also a quarterback lost in the wind.
So, could either one of them end up in New England to replace the Golden Boy? Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com pondered the Patriots’ quarterback situation, and suggested that if it came down to it, Newton may be the choice over Winston.
Per Rosenthal:
“The Patriots are perhaps the only team left without an expected starter, although second-year pro Jarrett Stidham is likely a bigger factor in Bill Belichick’s head than that of the public at large. Still, Belichick loves value. It would be a very Patriots-like move to pick up a former No. 1 overall draft pick at quarterback at a deep discount price. My instinct says that Josh McDaniels would rather come up with a new offense for Cam than trust Winston to avoid mistakes, but Belichick has options.”
It certainly doesn’t help Winston’s case that he threw for 30 interceptions in a contract year. With Bruce Arians throwing in the towel on the former Heisman Trophy winner, it might be hard for Winston to convince another franchise to hand over the reigns of their offense to him.
In all likelihood, Winston may have to settle for a backup role. But, as several media members have suggested, including Peter King of NBC Sports, that might not be such a bad thing if Winston were to wind up with an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sitting for a year and learning behind an experienced quarterback could pay dividends in the long run.
Unfortunately, for Winston, he won’t get the chance to sit behind Brady in Tampa Bay.
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