NFL Rumors: 5 best Jameis Winston destinations if Saints cut him loose

4. Raiders can sign Jameis Winston as bridge QB

The Las Vegas Raiders experienced a fair amount of success with rookie Aidan O'Connell under center in 2023, but Antonio Pierce is looking to reward the organization's faith in him with a winning season. O'Connell would probably benefit from another year or two of gestation before he is fully tossed to the wolves. At the very least, Vegas can establish some competition in camp with Jimmy Garoppolo on the way out.

Winston would offer a similar profile to O'Connell. Both are tall, powerful pocket passers plagued by turnover issues. Obviously the upside is much higher with O'Connell, but coaches tend to prefer the steadfast hand of veterans. Jimmy G was an outcast by season's end, sure, but Winston carries far more explosive potential than Garoppolo. The Florida State product can still whip it downfield and make challenging throws. Arm talent makes all the difference.

Frankly, the Raiders will probably aim higher than Winston. Whether through the NFL Draft (No. 13 pick) or elsewhere in free agency (Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield), the Raiders are a prestige, big-market franchise with a chip on their collective shoulder. The AFC West is a tough place to play these days, but Las Vegas is eager to make a splash. Winston probably doesn't live up to the front office's expectations.

Even so, the Raiders aren't necessarily guaranteed to accomplish Plan A this offseason, or even Plan B or Plan C. At a certain point, letting Winston compete for the job in camp is a reasonable gamble. Last season was rough across a very small sample size, but Winston tossed 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions in seven starts back in 2021. With time to build up rhythm and the confidence of his coaches, Winston can still churn out impressive performances.