The New York Giants entered this offseason with arguably the NFL's worst quarterback room. The positional overhaul is undeniable, but the jury is still out on whether they legitimately improved the group. We were quickly reminded of that early in Phase 3 of the team's workout program, thanks to veteran gunslinger Jameis Winston.
Fittingly, Winston's first 7-on-7 red zone drill pass was intercepted by Giants safety Dane Belton. That's par for the course for the league's founder and only member of the notorious 30-30 club (30 touchdowns, 30 picks). Yet, New York senior vice president/general manager Joe Schoen decided to add him to the roster, a decision the front office is presumably already second-guessing.
Jameis Winston's first impression on the Giants at OTAs is exactly what you'd expect
New York is getting a taste of what many know as the "Jameis Winston experience." AKA, a rollercoaster with insane highs and lows, with no in between. The 31-year-old has become known for his erratically exciting play, and the Giants are learning this in real-time during organized team activities (OTAs).
Variance is kind of Winston's thing. One minute, fans are scratching their heads, wondering what on earth he's seeing (or not seeing) on the field that leads to some questionable throws. Next, you're lauding him for having the courage and skill to fit balls in windows that aren't meant to be tossed into.
Winston is the box of chocolates Tom Hanks is talking about in the iconic Forrest Gump film. "You never know what you're gonna get," the award-winning actor famously said. No quote better personifies New York's new signal-caller.
SNY's Connor Hughes suggests that Winston should've been picked off a second time, though a Giants defender dropped the ball. The reporter also noted how the one-time Pro Bowler fared from an overall standpoint once New York wrapped up practice. It wasn't a great day at the office, to put it mildly.
Hughes highlights that all the work Winston and other Giants passers did was from the 10-yard line. While the 2015 No. 1 pick found paydirt more than his counterparts, he was the least efficient of the bunch, including the mentioned miscues.
Schoen and the Giants signed Winston to a two-year, $8 million contract in March, which is low-end backup money. New York ostensibly wasn't betting on him to be a starter, but they're already getting a negative return on their investment.