The Cleveland Browns made a considerable splash Tuesday morning, signing quarterback Jameis Winston to a one-year deal.
Cleveland Browns Sign Jameis Winston
Winston was selected number one overall by the Tampa Buccaneers in 2015 but has mostly spent the last few seasons as a backup in New Orleans.
Winston is an excellent backup and one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL, but he is also near the bottom. The Browns discovered how lousy life was without a veteran backup until Joe Flacco joined the team late in the season.
Many fans are not thrilled about Winston’s signing, and their dissatisfaction is not with the man himself but with the guy they will let out the door.
Joe Flacco Is Done In Cleveland
Joe Flacco, the Browns hero late in the season last year, helped bring the Browns to playoffs, and he will be out the door and will not return to Cleveland after the Winston signing.
Flacco wanted to return to Cleveland if it was in a backup role, and now that is off the table. The 39-year-old quarterback stated he would love to come back to Cleveland. All was equal, like only being offered a backup job everywhere else. He would want to be back in Cleveland, but if offered a starting job elsewhere, he would have to bolt and take that job. The Browns didn’t have the same feelings that Flacco had.
The Cleveland Browns seemed to have no interest in bringing Flacco back, which makes sense. Flacco is 39 years old, and even though he played very well late in the season last year, he has a track record of not being great the past five years. There was a reason why he was on the couch so late into the season last year.
Winston is nine years younger, more mobile, and slightly similar to Watson than Flacco. The Browns only went out and got Flacco because nobody was left on the open market, but now there are so many names in free agency that the Browns could reevaluate and see that Winston was a better option.
All Browns fans will always be thankful for Flacco, but it was the right decision to move on.