New York Giants free company: What to love, not like, about QB Jameis Winston

The New York Giants are within the quarterback market, and few out there sign callers are as attention-grabbing as Jameis Winston. The profession of the No. 1 total choice within the 2015 NFL Draft is risky, constant together with his attention-grabbing play fashion. He possesses a mix of reckless gun-slinger with flashes of elite quarterback play.

From afar, Winston has been a really pleasing quarterback to observe, whether or not it’s consuming dubs, throwing touchdowns, or making asinine errors. The 31-year-old threw for two,121 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over 9 appearances in 2024.

Winston had a yards per try of seven.2, which ranked within the high 20. His Huge Time Throw fee was 3.8%, simply forward of Drake Maye and Bo Nix however simply behind Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts. To no shock, Winston did lead the league in Turnover Worthy Play fee at 5.2%, simply forward of Drew Lock at 5.1%.

One factor that’s according to Winston is his aDot — common depth of goal. He isn’t scared, nor shy, to let it rip and search for the large explosive play. Winston ranked third within the NFL behind Anthony Richardson and Trevor Lawrence in aDot at 9.7 yards. Winston additionally ranked seventh within the league in pressure-to-sack ratio (23.3%).

Winston had 20 explosive passes and exceeded 300 yards in three of his seven begins (BLT, NO, DEN). Winston’s Huge Time Throw fee was his lowest since 2019; he’s sometimes north of the five-and-a-half-percent quantity, inserting him with Sam Darnold, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow in 2024.

Nevertheless, Winston’s turnover-worthy play fee can also be often over 5 p.c; this ranks among the many highest within the league yearly, according to the enigma that’s Jameis Winston’s play. Nonetheless, the flashes of elite processing and manipulation are on tape, and we’ll begin there.

Flashes elite traits

A quarterback should use each benefit possible to raise offensive success. This may be achieved in a wide range of methods: elite timing, improvisation, and many others. or it may be achieved by means of eye manipulation to depart home windows ajar round confined areas of the sphere.

On third-and-10 in opposition to the Broncos, Winston held Levi Wallace (39) outdoors the numbers together with his eyes, which allowed him to flip his hips inward and hearth a strike to Michael Woods II (81).

Denver went into Cowl-2, and Winston’s helmet and hips have been Elijah Moore (8) with Wallace taking part in inside-out, eyes inward. With glorious timing, Winston waited till Woods II labored into the blindspot of the overhang defender, forcing that defender to step towards the hash; as soon as that was confirmed, Winston fluidly related with Woods II with a peripheral connection. It is a trait that Winston will showcase; he has a large lens and can manipulate defenders in zone:

Watch the stripe of Winston’s helmet as Denzel Perryman (6) flipped his hips inward. Winston stored his helmet oriented between the hashes and barely adjusted his base after he reached the highest of his drop; he then aligned his shoulders and hips as he stepped towards Jerry Jeudy (3) and related with the receiver for a primary down with good placement to Jeudy’s outdoors. Once more, his eyes affect defenders and maximize the play’s success fee.

Winston gathers priceless data on his five-step drop out of shotgun. He noticed the leverage of the sphere cornerback in opposition to Moore. The defensive again instantly assumed inside leverage, giving the skin to Moore and forcing Winston to make a far-hash anticipatory throw, which the quarterback did flawlessly.

The nonetheless shot above exhibits Winston rearing again to throw proper as Moore decelerates his route. As we’ll see a bit of later, far-hash velocity throws are incessantly tried by Winston. I like seeing quarterbacks who — at the least — try and threaten defenses who execute leverages that provide area to the offense. Winston has sufficient arm expertise and gumption to try to steal what the protection offers the offense.

Winston shortly identified the Saints’ Cowl-2 rotation; he noticed the sphere cornerback’s presnap alignment: eyes, hips, stance all inward towards the No. 2 and No. 3 receiver, with a stress lookup entrance. New Orleans bailed, and Winston’s eyes went to center security and over to the sphere cornerback to see his response; all of this occurred as Winston caught the snap and hit his again foot. The No. 2 extensive receiver ran an out, and the sphere cornerback squatted on his route, giving Winston the affirmation that the honey-hole could be ajar. From the far-hash, Winston delivered a strike to Jeudy earlier than the protection bought excessive, and the receiver secured the catch and bought down earlier than contact. One other glorious play.

Ball placement

Winston has proven some elite ball placement over the center of the sphere and in fast recreation. He can successfully function a rhythmic passing assault whereas additionally possessing his downfield attacking fashion; I might argue the latter is extra consultant of his talent set, however he has proven elite ball placement in fast recreation and when carving by means of tight protection outdoors the numbers or over the center of the sphere.

Right here’s a easy three-step drop smash idea to Jeudy that was sadly dropped. Winston needed to shortly pull the set off, for the Cowl-2 cornerback to the boundary facet was sinking, however Winston delivered an ideal cross that hit Jeudy within the palms.

This isn’t fast recreation, but it surely’s one other flag route, this one on third-and-4, the place Winston begins to throw proper because the receiver emerges from his break. He places the soccer in an elite location, permitting Jeudy to slip and keep away from contact.

Listed here are two slant routes which can be magnificently positioned away from the defender’s leverage:

The cross beneath definitely just isn’t fast recreation however a seven-step drop from underneath middle the place Winston used glorious timing to attach with Moore on the curl for a primary down. There aren’t many seven-step drops in Brian Daboll’s offense, however that is properly executed by the quarterback:

Far-hash velocity

Quarterbacks don’t all the time have the power or confidence to try to problem defenses from the far-hash. We’ve seen a number of throws already the place Winston shows the braveness and skill to threaten defenses on this method. Listed here are extra:

Winston needed to layer this over the beneath defender whereas specializing in inserting it outdoors of Moore’s body, away from the Baltimore Raven defender. He did this with drive and contact.

Far-hash throws are extra profitable when the quarterback can anticipate, and Winston does simply that in opposition to the Chiefs above. The cross goes incomplete however have a look at when Winston rears again to throw, and you may be the decide if the extensive receiver had sufficient time to find and safe this cross:

The receiver isn’t near entering into his break however the soccer has fairly the space to journey. There was loads of time for the receiver to show round and discover the soccer that was catchable because of the anticipation utilized by Winston.

Winston had already launched the soccer as Jeudy bought into his break in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers above. The signal-caller does an excellent job throwing anticipation outdoors the numbers, elevating the likelihood of success in one-on-one conditions.

Winston rips one other outside-the-numbers far-hash throw on a troublesome out sample that goes for a primary down on first down. Nice ball placement and velocity.

Purple zone passing

Winston showcased extra of his anticipatory expertise within the crimson zone off play motion in opposition to the Broncos. The Browns ran David Njoku (85) up the seam with an outdoor leveraged cornerback, an beneath apex, and a security in Njoku’s common space. Lovely fast launch, ball away from the protection, and simply excessive sufficient to clear the beneath apex.

Winston began throwing the cross earlier than Jordan Akins (88) bought off his block and to the flat; that route was pivotal to the success of the play, for Akins occupied the apex defender’s consideration. The linebacker (apex on this play) had his hips oriented outward towards Akins and Winston earholed him to Njoku for six. Winston does properly to search out soft-spots between the numbers in zone protection.

Ball placement just isn’t all the time according to Winston. I noticed numerous overthrows on his tape from 2024, however he definitely can ship exact placement. He does properly on these back-shoulder fades; he shortly went by means of progressions whereas concurrently holding the center-field security in place earlier than discovering David Njoku on a back-shoulder fade for six in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The protection is tight, however this good throw defeated the standard protection.

Though that is rubbish time in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals, I can’t assist however applaud Winston’s means to provide his man a sensible shot to safe a landing in tight protection; Njoku does simply that as a result of the contact, top of the cross, and placement have been simply far sufficient away from the defender in tight protection.

Creativity

Jameis Winston does a superb job preserving his eyes downfield whereas extending performs and improvising. It’s one purpose why his spotlight reel is so thrilling, but it surely additionally results in errors and compelled errors. Nonetheless, listed below are a number of profitable inventive performs the place Winston discovered success out of construction:

(Third-and-12)

(Third-and-8)

(First-and-10)

(Third-and-10)

(Third-and-9)

(Second-and-11, shut recreation in fourth quarter)

(First-and-10)

Negatives

You’re taking the nice with the dangerous with Winston. He’s thrilling and can throw for 500 yards in a given recreation and will throw greater than 30 touchdowns in a season, however he’ll additionally throw 30 interceptions and put his defenses in robust spots. Listed here are some errors from this previous season:

This was a fourth-and-1 the place Winston didn’t see the open receiver on the spot route. He panicked, was indecisive, patted the ball, and went for the seven off the smash as soon as the cornerback sank. Listed here are two different tough errors from the 2024 season.

Winston’s deep passing outdoors the numbers wasn’t dangerous, however he tended to overthrow (which is ideally to underthrowing the soccer). In line with Professional Soccer Reference, Winston was amongst one of many worst quarterbacks within the league when it got here to on the right track proportion — he ranked fortieth of 43 quarterbacks.

He additionally had the Sixteenth-worst dangerous throw proportion. He flashes elite ball placement however the lack of consistency with it’s problematic.

Like most quarterbacks, Winston is considerably worse underneath stress. He accomplished 42.5% of his passes for a quarter mile with 4 picks and three touchdowns underneath stress in 2024. His reckless play fashion is exacerbated when he feels the stress. In line with Professional Soccer Focus, Winston graded second to final in passing when underneath stress (forty second).

Remaining ideas

I’m a Winston fan, and I’m prepared to take the nice with the dangerous and permit this gunslinger to tear in Daboll’s offense. He’s removed from an ideal product and is now a journeyman quarterback who excites when a possibility arises however ultimately collapses. Nonetheless, I’ll take these highs and a doubtlessly explosive offense whereas permitting Daboll to try to curtail Winston’s errors.

Winston signed a one-year, $4-million contract with the Cleveland Browns final low season — one much less million than Drew Lock obtained from the Giants. He’ll earn extra, however it might be price a shot to permit Winston to be the veteran within the quarterback room that can doubtless encompass a younger rookie. It’s the state of the quarterback market, however Winston often is the most fun bang on your buck quarterback out there. Let me know what you assume within the feedback.