Grading QB Jameis Winston re-signing with the Saints: D

Everybody knew that Drew Brees was going to retire; he just had to do it on his terms and in his own time. In the end, he did it 15 years to the day after he signed his first deal in New Orleans. Now that that’s happened, the Saints must find a credible way to replace one of the greatest quarterbacks the game has ever seen.

In the short term, that would appear to be with gadget guy Taysom Hill and veteran Jameis Winston, who re-signed with the Saints on a one-year deal worth $12 million.

That’s… not ideal.

There are perhaps a few big red flags when it comes to evaluating Winston over time. First is the fact that in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their starting quarterback he threw 30 interceptions. Then the Buccaneers went out and signed Tom Brady, who immediately led them to a Super Bowl victory.

Then there is this: Winston was signed by the New Orleans Saints behind Drew Brees, and when Brees went down with an injury, Sean Payton turned to…Taysom Hill to start in his place instead of Winston.

Still, teams should not foreclose on Winston as an option at quarterback, and yes as a potential starter in this league. The bet will be that during his time in New Orleans Winston was able to work on his decision-making, so that when he sees his next live action the reads and throws will be faster, and not as risky. The biggest flaw I saw in Winston’s game after that final year in Tampa Bay was how the ball would sometimes just come out of his hand far too slowly for plays to be effective. If that has been fixed, Winston could in time be an effective starter in this league. But given the Saints’ paucity of quarterback talent? This is a bridge, at best.