We’re at the point in the careers of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota that their teams will have to decide whether or not they’re franchise QBs. Both guys have shown flashes in their three years in the league and have been granted their fifth-year options. Tampa Bay and Tennessee have invested $20.9M in the 24-year olds. Now, they need to decide if a long-term investment is worth it.
On the Field:
Jameis Winston has a big arm and an ability to make the big play. He has some mobility, but not enough to make him a great option threat. In his three years, he’s averaged 3,895 yards and 23 passing touchdowns. Those are solid numbers from a young QB, right? Right. At the same time, however, Winston has averaged 15 interceptions a season. He’s almost become too reliant on Mike Evans. Instead of making the smart play and throwing to the third or fourth option, Winston seems happy throwing to Evans in double coverage, expecting him to come down with it. He takes too many risks instead of making the smart, safe choice.
Mariota’s numbers have been pedestrian as well, averaging 3,159 yards, 19 TDs, and 11 INTs in his first three seasons. His mobility was talked about at lengths during his time at Oregon, and we’ve seen some glimpses of that in his short career. With better weapons, Mariota could see more success. Tennesse’s defense is set to be one of the best in the AFC, but his receiving options are still questionable after TE Delanie Walker. If last year’s fifth overall pick WR Corey Davis and newly-added RB Dion Lewis step up, expect Mariota to take a step as well.
Off the Field:
There have been plenty of instances of the Tampa Bay QB being involved with troubling situations off the field. In his time at Florida State, Winston was suspended a game for shouting obscenities referencing an online joke. He was also suspended during his baseball season for the now infamous crab legs theft at a Publix.
More recently, Winston was in hot water for his remarks during a speech to children where he said girls should “be silent and polite.” He went on to say that men are meant to be strong. In a vacuum, these words may not be a big deal, but on top of everything else, it becomes a bigger issue.
In June, Winston was suspended three games for his involvement in an incident where a female uber driver was allegedly groped. This suspension was met with major criticism by fans around the world who pushed for stronger punishment.
From the other side, we haven’t seen much of Mariota off the field. He doesn’t have any major incidents to report on. The only time we’ve really seen him off the football field has been at Bridgestone Arena supporting the Nashville Predators with some of his teammates.
Tennessee Titans offensive linemen crushing tallboys to fire up the crowd in Nashville
Go Preds. pic.twitter.com/v1sHACFVqo
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 17, 2017
Other Options:
It’s not often competitive QBs hit the free agent market, which is why Kirk Cousins got paid so handsomely this year. If these players don’t sign a deal prior to their 2020 free agency, the QB class could be a solid one.
- Drew Brees (41)
- Aaron Rodgers (36)
- Russell Wilson (31)
- Ben Roethlisberger (38)
- Eli Manning (39)
- Philip Rivers (38)
- Tom Brady (43)
- Dak Prescott (27)
While a lot of these guys are aging vets, Brady and Brees have pushed the limit of strong QB play at advanced ages. Not to mention the college QBs that could come out in 2020 including Georgia’s Jake Fromm and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.
What To Do?
Obviously, a lot can change over two seasons, but I believe the Bucs should consider moving on from Jameis Winston. He has the higher ceiling of the two, but he also has the lower floor. Add the off-field issues and it makes for a scenario that would allow the team to move on. Let another team overpay him. The organization may not want to rebuild. However, I don’t see Winston giving them a chance to win a Super Bowl anyway.
In his fourth and fifth seasons, Mariota can change a lot of minds. I’ve held the belief that he’s a middle of the road QB with some upside, similar to the aforementioned Kirk Cousins. If Tennessee can keep drafting young talent to put around the QB, Mariota could bring some success that the Titans haven’t seen since the days of Steve McNair.