Should the Redskins consider targeting Jameis Winston during 2019 offseason?

If Alex Smith‘s status for the 2019 season opener is really in question, the Redskins will need to add some competition at the quarterback position. Could Jameis Winston be the right fit?

The injury to Alex Smith was more than unfortunate. It was disastrous…and eerie. It occurred 33 years to the day that the Joe Theissman injury came on. There’s nothing that can explain that. It’s just weird.

Regardless of when, why, or how thing injury happened, people just have to accept that it happened. Smith will likely come back at some point, but it won’t happen until 2019. And even then, there is still some uncertainty regarding what the timetable there may be.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports is reporting that Smith’s timetable for a return from injury is actually going to be 8-10 months (via Matthew Paras of The Washington Times). That contradicts the original timeline that had stated Smith would be out 6-8 months and would likely return to the squad to start the 2019 season. Now, the beginning of next year is in doubt.

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Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem. Colt McCoy is one of the better backups in the NFL and while he didn’t show it in his one start so far this year, he can be handed the keys for a few games. But if there is a legitimate question on when Smith will be back, it may behoove the Redskins to have a better backup plan. And at the very least, they need a top-notch third-string option just in case things really go wrong.

Unfortunately for the Redskins, the 2019 NFL Draft is short on quality quarterbacks, so looking there may not turn up anything more than a developmental candidate like Brett Rypien. Starting him wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would make it a lot harder for the Redskins to make the playoffs. They would be better served trying to find someone who could compete for a starting job and potentially be able to guide the quality roster they have to the playoffs.

So, what about Jameis Winston?

Winston isn’t technically a free agent next year, as the Bucs did pick up his fifth-year option. However, given the up-and-down year and career he has had in Tampa Bay, the squad may look to move on from him and start anew, especially if they clean house with their coaching staff and front office, which is definitely a possibility. So, Winston could be on the move.

Winston would make sense for the Redskins. However, it would only work if the Bucs outright cut him, as they can’t pay both him and Alex Smith an excess of $20 million. But, if they brought Winston in on a one-year “prove it” deal, they could have him challenge Smith and try to win the starting job. And at the very least, they would ensure that they would have one of the best backup situations in the NFL.

Of course, there are a lot of obstacles to this play. The first is Winston’s salary. The second is that he might only want to go where he can have a legitimate chance to win a starting job. And third, I’m not convinced the Redskins would be willing to essentially throw in the towel on Smith that quickly. It just doesn’t all add up for the squad.

If Winston becomes available this offseason, expect the Redskins to potentially be connected to him. But at the end of the day, the team is much better served to try and find a developmental quarterback to work behind Smith and McCoy next year and try to find a true successor to Smith in what could be a loaded 2020 quarterback class.