Should the Broncos ponder making a run at acquiring Jameis Winston?
Nov 29, 2018, 6:50 PM | Updated: 6:58 pm
Amid a down season and heading for a large payday, there’s speculation that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may “move on” from quarterback Jameis Winston at the end of this season, said “The Drive” co-host Alfred “Big Al” Williams on Thursday.
But before Tampa Bay has a chance to release Winston, Williams said the Denver Broncos should make a run at acquiring the former first-overall pick.
“That’s a guy who, with a change of scenery and the right coach around him, I believe is going to be the guy,” Williams said.
Williams said the Broncos need a quarterback “who had it in high school, who had it in college, and can develop into that in the pros” and that “Jameis Winston fits the profile.”
“He plays for a crappy, crappy organization, and sometimes a change of scenery is all a great player needs,” Williams said.
Like the price the San Francisco 49ers paid to acquire Steve Young from the Buccaneers in 1987, Williams theorized a second-round and fourth-round pick might be a fair deal for Winston.
“I think that is the best gamble we possibly could make,” Williams said, “because I’m always thinking of one thing: Who is it going to be to go into Pittsburgh and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers? Who is it going to be to go into New England and beat the New England Patriots when it’s time to get to the next level of the playoffs?
“If your guy is not that guy, you need to start working on getting that guy.”
However, Williams’ co-host, DMac, disagreed on the Broncos trading for Winston, saying, “He’s not the guy.”
“If you really think Jameis Winston is Steve Young, then do a deal. I don’t think he’s even close,” DMac said.
In his three-plus seasons with the Buccaneers, Winston has started 49 games, garnering a record of 20-29. Over a full 16-game season, Winston has averaged 25 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and 4,181 passing yards with a completion percentage of 61.6 and a passer rating of 87.2.
By comparison, in two seasons with the Buccaneers, Young won just three games in 19 starts. Over a full season, he averaged nine touchdowns, 18 interceptions, and 2,709 passing yards, with a completion percentage of 53.3 and a passer rating of 63.1.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
