The Las Vegas Raiders know that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will be a free agent after the rookie contract expires for the former first pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. The one-time Pro Bowl signal-caller, at 26 years old, could very likely part from the Bucs and find another home in 2020.
Jameis Winston led the league in passing yards this past season, throwing 5,109 yards—along with throwing a league-high 30 picks in sixteen games.
Suffice to say, starting Jameis Winston is a gamble. But with relations with longtime Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr fraught, should the AFC West franchise touch base with the free agent Winston?
The Argument
Carr was no slouch in the passing game last season either, throwing for just over 4,000 yards along with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Winston recorded 33 touchdowns along with his roller coaster performance of 30 picks and 5,000 passing yards.
However, Jameis Winston is one of the highest scoring gunslingers in the league while the Raiders were just 22nd in the NFL in passing TD's (and 18th in rushing scores). The fact of the matter is the Raiders need a shot of adrenaline in the form of scoring, and Carr may not be the right person to that as the longtime Californian franchise moves to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Additionally, the three-time Pro-Bowler Carr is an on expensive contract extension, entering the third year of a five-year, $125 million deal signed in 2017. Winston, a free agent, could have multiple bids on him from quarterback-needy teams this spring, but the bottom line is a contract with the Raiders is open-ended (maybe they would perform paying more than other potential teams but for just a single year and see what he's made of).
The Raiders certainly need a heavy dose of more scoring to keep up with other NFL teams, like recent Super Bowl LIV winner and AFC West division rival Kansas City Chiefs. The former Oakland outfit was on the precipice of a 2019-20 postseason berth at 7-9, but a finish featuring five losses in their final six games slid them out of the playoff conversation. A large part of that skid revolved around an anemic offense, averaging 14.7 points in six games, including four games with fewer than 20 points scored.
It's nearly impossible to win football games with that sort of weak offense (along with a defense that still needs work), and the Bucs, under Winston, finishing with the same record, scored fewer than 20 points in one game: their season-opener against the best defense in the league in future NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
The Verdict
Despite the compelling argument for a higher scoring output at quarterback, and the fact that Carr may indeed not be the long-term answer at QB, the Raiders shouldn't instead reach for free agent Jameis Winston.
Many of the Raiders' issues stem from an offensive arsenal devoid of firepower, especially at wide receiver, and while it's fair to consider how much Winston would cost (plus how many years), the Raiders need a more balanced and level-headed approach under center in 2020, even if it means parting with Carr, too.
For now, in spite of the move to Las Vegas, the Raiders can't afford to bet on Winston.
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