The Facts: The Buccaneers are "entertaining" the idea of signing Winston to a two-year deal, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.
Diehards Line:
Laine adds that first year of the deal would be worth $27 million guaranteed, roughly the same amount Winston would receive on a franchise tag, and the second year would be a team option. In case you haven't been following along, the 26-year-old Winston is scheduled to become a free agent in March after five seasons with the Bucs. He has shown the ability to move the ball up and down the field almost at will, but with a signficant on-field cost for Tampa Bay. As ESPN put it: "Winston is playing himself into the record books and out of the league at the same time. He's one of eight men on the planet to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, but his 30 interceptions were the second most in the NFL since 1980." HC Bruce Arians has been non-committal all offseason about the possibility of re-signing Winston and he was clearly exasperated by the six interceptions Winston threw in the final two games of the season. The Buccaneers have been linked to both Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater and would likely be interested in Cam Newton if the Panthers decide they are willing to trade him within the division. But none of these options have as much potential upside as re-signing Winston provided the Bucs coaching staff can curb his wildness on the field.