Browns' Jameis Winston: Short-yardage specialist again
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Winston had two carries for one yard in Sunday's 21-15 loss to the Giants in Week 3.
For the second straight week, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski deployed Winston in short-yardage situations. He was successful on one of two quarterback sneaks Sunday.
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Browns' Jameis Winston: Makes season debut
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Winston had two carries for four yards in Sunday's 18-13 win over the Jaguars in Week 2.
Winston, who made his season debut, entered the game on 4th-and-short situations, and the Browns converted all of them. He was used twice on quarterback sneaks and on a third he handed off to Jerome Ford, who scampered 36 yards.
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Browns' Jameis Winston: Candidate for trade
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The Browns will field trade calls for Winston after the team kept four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster Tuesday, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Along with Winston, the Browns plan to listen to offers on Tyler Huntley, which suggests Dorian Thompson-Robinson may be viewed as the top backup to Deshaun Watson. Something will happen between now and the regular season, as keeping four quarterbacks would be an unnecessary luxury.
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Browns' Jameis Winston: Plays one series Saturday
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Winston completed four of five passes for 30 yards in Saturday's 23-10 preseason loss to the Packers.
The veteran quarterback led the Browns' offensive starters to a field goal on the team's first possession, but Cleveland wouldn't score again until the fourth quarter. Winston was working without any of the Browns' top targets, instead connecting with the likes of Cedric Tillman, David Bell (quadriceps) and Michael Woods before handing the reins over to Tyler Huntley. Winston will head into Week 1 as the primary backup to Deshaun Watson, a job that could result in him seeing more action than expected considering Watson has played only 12 total games over the prior two seasons.
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Browns' Jameis Winston: Will get Saturday's start
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Winston will start Saturday's preseason opener against the Packers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The Browns have opted to sit top QB Deshaun Watson for the contest, which sets the stage for Winston to get the nod versus Green Bay, with Tyler Huntley and Dorian Thompson-Robinson candidates to follow. Beyond Saturday's tilt, it's unclear whether Watson will end up seeing any preseason action.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Could land in Cleveland
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The Browns are reportedly closing in on a deal to acquire Winston, Jake Trotter of ESPN reports.
Winston, who is still technically under contract with the Saints, would be in line to replace Joe Flacco as Cleveland's No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson. The Browns also roster Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but Winston -- the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- has ample starting experience, and Watson is coming off an injury-shortened 2023 campaign.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Appears in seven games as backup
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Winston completed 25 of 47 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions across seven appearances.
Winston was firmly planted as the Saints' No. 2 quarterback behind Derek Carr this season. The veteran backup saw meaningful playing time in three of his seven appearances when Carr was forced out with injuries. While the latter quarterback was plagued by injury for much of the season, he still managed to start all 17 games for the Saints. As a result, Winston had his least productive season since 2020 when he first joined the Saints. While on a small sample size, his completion percentage (53) and yards per attempt (5.6) fell short of his averages from the past two seasons, though his overall play didn't seem to take a significant hit. Winston has one season remaining on his current two-year, $28 million contract with the Saints, and he'll likely compete with Jake Haener for the team's No. 2 QB job heading into the 2024 campaign.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Sticking in backup role Week 14
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Winston is expected to remain in a backup role for Sunday's game against the Panthers after the Saints announced Saturday that quarterback Derek Carr (concussion/rib/shoulder) was cleared to start the Week 14 contest, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
In addition to exiting this past Sunday's loss to the Lions with a non-displaced rib cartilage fracture and an injury to his throwing shoulder, Carr was also diagnosed with a concussion, marking the second time in less than a month that he was subject to the five-step protocol for head injuries. Winston, who completed two of five pass attempts for 41 yards over his nine snaps in relief of Carr in Week 13, ended up taking some first-team reps in practice this week to keep himself prepared for a potential start against the Panthers. However, with Carr demonstrating enough progress in his recovery from the three injuries to turn in a full practice Friday, he was then cleared from the concussion protocol later that day before the Saints officially removed him from their Week 14 injury report Saturday. Winston hasn't started a game since Week 3 of the 2022 season and will once again have to wait on another chance to direct the New Orleans offense with Carr getting the green light to play.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Ready in case of Carr absence
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Friday that he's managed the quarterback snaps between both Winston and Derek Carr (concussion/rib/shoulder) during practice this week in the event Carr isn't available for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Carr has started all 12 of the Saints' games to date, but his status heading into the weekend may be murkier than ever before after he entered the concussion protocol for the second time this season following his removal from last Sunday's 33-28 loss to the Lions. Carr is also nursing a pair of injuries in addition to the concussion, but he was able to stay involved in practice throughout the week, logging limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday before advancing to full activity Friday. If Carr can gain clearance from an independent neurologist Saturday, he could be removed from the protocol and handle his usual starting duties Sunday, but if not, Winston looks like he'll be prepared to direct the offense. While coming on in relief of Carr on five occasions this season, Winston has completed 25 of 47 pass attempts for 264 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Week 14 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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There have been a few times this season where we thought Derek Carr suffered a serious enough injury to force Winston into a start, and he hasn't missed a game yet. However, he took a huge hit Sunday that forced him into the concussion protocol, along with a back and a shoulder injury, and it just might be hard for him to play through this one. It's the second time Carr has been in the protocol and the third time leaving a game with a shoulder injury, in a season Carr has admitted has seen him deal with more injuries than ever before. Since getting to the Saints, Winston has a 6.1% touchdown rate and 7.1 Y/A, both of which are solid marks, albeit with a 3.3% interception rate with five fumbles, because that's life with Winston. He has his drawbacks, but he also has plenty of upside and could be chasing points against a vulnerable Lions defense in Week 14, which should put him in the mid-to-high-end QB2 range of the rankings.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Week 3 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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It looks like Winston is going to get a real chance to start for the Saints at least in Week 4, and possibly beyond, after Derek Carr was forced from Sunday's game with a shoulder injury. Winston entered Sunday's game in the third quarter and passed for 101 yards on 16 attempts, which was hardly noteworthy, of course. But we've seen Winston be a useful Fantasy option before, and the Saints have been more pass-heavy so far this season than they were last year, and with a healthy Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara returning from suspension in Week 4, should have better weapons than they've had in a long time. Winston could be a viable starting Fantasy option if Carr has to miss some time.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Relieves injured Carr in loss
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Winston completed 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards during Sunday's 18-17 loss to the Packers.
Winston took over under center after Derek Carr sustained a right shoulder injury on a sack in the third quarter. With their starting quarterback forced out for the remainder of the game, the Saints turned to Winston to protect their 17-0 lead with just over a quarter-and-a-half remaining. Winston didn't manage to pass his team's own 40-yard line on his first three drives of the second half; however, the 29-year-old completed four of six passes for 45 yards to set the Saints up for a game-winning field goal on their final offensive series before kicker Blake Grupe missed wide right on his 46-yard attempt. Winston started 10 games over his first three seasons with the Saints, and his experience in this offense should help keep the unit afloat if Carr, who underwent X-rays before being taken to a local area hospital for further evaluation, is forced to miss any time moving forward.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Not on injury report
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Winston (wrist) wasn't listed on the Saints' first Week 1 injury report Wednesday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Winston sustained a wrist injury during the Saints' final preseason game against the Texans on Aug. 26, a contest in which he completed 11 of 16 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. With the health concern in the rear-view mirror, Winston can turn his focus to serving as Derek Carr's primary backup for the 2023 campaign.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Doesn't practice Tuesday
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Winston (wrist) was held out of practice Tuesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Winston hurt his wrist in the Saints' exhibition finale Sunday against Houston. The veteran quarterback put together a solid preseason, completing 35 of 50 pass attempts for 354 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His injury has been deemed minor, so it's likely that Winston will be ready to go as Derek Carr's backup when New Orleans begins the regular season Sept. 10 at home against Tennessee.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Solid effort Sunday
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Winston completed 13 of 21 passes for 169 yards in Sunday's preseason win over the Chargers.
The veteran quarterback played the entire first half before giving way to rookie Jake Haener, and Winston led three scoring drives -- including an impressive two-minute drill with just 33 seconds on the clock at the end of the second quarter that resulted in a 37-yard Blake Grupe field goal. Winston's experience and familiarity with coordinator Pete Carmichael's offense will keep him in the backup role behind Derek Carr, but he once again figures to see little action.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Set to start Sunday
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Saints coach Dennis Allen said that Winston will start Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers, according to New Orleans team reporter Erin Summers.
Allen also said that quarterback coach Ronald Curry will handle play-calling duties during Sunday's preseason contest. This makes sense given that the team is expected to hold out a number of players after most of the team's starters took the field for the opening drive of last Sunday's 26-24 preseason win against Kansas City, per John Hendrix of SI.com. Winston was the first Saints quarterback to take the field after starter Derek Carr exited during the first quarter of preseason Week 1. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com, these two veteran signal-callers have taken almost all of the snaps during team drills in New Orleans' recent training camp practices. This essentially confirms that, as of right now, Winston has secured the team's No. 2 quarterback spot ahead of rookie Jake Haener. However, it's unclear how long Winston will stay in the game this Sunday.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Offered restructured deal
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The Saints offered Winston a restructured deal on Friday that would allow him to stick with the team for the 2023 season, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.
If Winston were released as a post-June 1 cut the Saints would save $12.8 million against the cap, but it appears the team is open to keeping him in house as a backup to new top quarterback Derek Carr. The 29-year-old was relegated to backup duties behind Andy Dalton after beginning the 2022 season in the starting role, due in part to the fact that he suffered four fractures in his back Week 1. New Orleans would likely cut Winston if he doesn't agree to terms on a contract restructure, meaning he could still could opt to test his market as a free agent.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Likely cap casualty
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The Saints are expected to release Winston as a post-June 1 cut, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
New Orleans can save $12.8 million against the cap by releasing Winston, who was relegated to backup duties down the stretch of the 2022 campaign, after June 1. With the team expected to announce an official agreement with Derek Carr imminently, Winston is clearly the odd man out in the Saints' quarterback room. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton is scheduled to hit free agency, giving New Orleans a clear need at the No. 2 quarterback spot.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Not 100 percent, per Allen
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Wednesday that Winston may not be 100 percent healthy at any point the rest of this season, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Winston has been able to practice fully for weeks, but Allen continues to stick with Andy Dalton as the Saints' starting quarterback, even though the latter has compiled a 2-5 record in his nods this season. As such, Winston is poised to be the team's No. 2 option and may not get a chance to regain the top spot on the depth chart without an absence from Dalton.
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Saints' Jameis Winston: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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The Athletic reported that Winston could start for the Saints in Week 11, and the potential of that happening makes it worth your time to add Winston. While he might struggle again like he did earlier in the season before he suffered a back injury and lost his job to Andy Dalton, there's still the possibility that he could become a low-end starter in all leagues. Fantasy managers in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues should have Winston rostered for sure, and he's worth at least 15-20 percent of your remaining FAB in those formats. In one-quarterback leagues, Winston is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.