Report: Jameis Winston to sign with Saints

The New Orleans Saints added a quarterback late in the 2020 NFL Draft, and have talked about Taysom Hill as a long-term option. For the 2020 season however, they’re going with a better option as Drew Brees’ primary backup. The team is set to sign free agent quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year contract, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson.

Robinson is reporting the deal is “economical” given the Saints cap situation. According to Over The Cap, the Saints have $5,041,522 in cap space at the moment. Winston would join a room that includes Taysom Hill and rookie Tommy Stevens.

The Saints placed a first-round tender on Hill as a restricted free agent this offseason. Robinson’s sources say Winston is not guaranteed the backup job, but would instead be competing with Hill for that role.

There has been a lot of talk about Hill’s abilities and long-term role, but Winston is a better quarterback than him. Hill has been a playmaker for the Saints, but exclusively in a gadget role that only occasionally has him taking snaps.

Last month, head coach Sean Payton said on ESPN that 2020 would be Brees’ last season. Brees signed a two-year contract this offseason, but there has been no denial yet of Payton’s comments. Adding Winston and Stevens to the room offers a chance for some competition to figure out the plan for 2021.

As recently as last week, the Jaguars were the favorites to land Newton at +250 at DraftKings Sportsbook. They were followed by the Chargers (+500) and Steelers (+800). The Saints were +2200 at that point, so not the longest of shots, but still a bit of a sleeper.

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