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

1. Steelers can plug Jameis Winston into Mike Tomlin's foolproof calculus

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to do something at QB this offseason. New OC Arthur Smith has expressed a true eagerness to work with Kenny Pickett, but there's a chance Mason Rudolph returns to stake his claim. Jimmy Garoppolo and other names have been floated as well. Why not add Winston to the list of hypothetical options? If not the immediate starter over Pickett, Winston can certainly compete in camp and give the Steelers a viable alternative if (when?) Pickett falls short.

Smith is a fascinating figure in the OC role. He's definitely not Matt Canada, but the Falcons' offense was frequently embarrassing relative to the talent on the roster. He made his reputation on not using his best players. Bijan Robinson was stuck is a full-blown timeshare with Tyler Allegier. Jonnu Smith often received more targets than Kyle Pitts. There's a difference between sharing the sugar and completely undermining your best players. Smith was often guilty of the latter.

Part of the reason for Smith's demise was also his complete lack of faith in Atlanta's QBs. At risk of oversimplifying a complicated issue, Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder could not throw the football. Obviously that's hyperbole — Ridder actually had a few sparse flashes of potential brilliance when Atlanta allowed him to operate aggressively — but Smith's lack of confidence in his QBs completely tanked the Falcons' offense. He never took the training wheels off. What's to say it will be any different with Pickett, who also has legitimate questions surrounding his arm talent?

Winston is a veteran who can air it out. He loves to air it out. If the Steelers want to loosen Smith's grip and let the offense breath, Winston is a legitimate option. Plus, Mike Tomlin has never finished below .500, so there's something in that Pittsburgh water. Winston is mistake-prone and often erratic, but maybe with the structure provided by Tomlin and a little faith from Smith, he can make one last stand as a starting QB. That is a strong maybe.