Last season, the Cleveland Browns went through five quarterbacks due to injuries. During the offseason, general manager Andrew Berry wanted to upgrade the backup quarterback situation.
He did that by signing former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston. The former Florida State Seminole began his professional career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before spending the last four in New Orleans with the Saints.
Winston signed with the Browns to back up Deshaun Watson this season. Recently, Bleacher Report reviewed all 32 NFL backups and ranked Winston at No. 4.
“Winston has a big arm that can open up the deep passing attack, which would bode well for the receivers if Deshaun Watson continues to struggle in Cleveland,” Bleacher Report writes. “As a pocket passer, Flacco aired it out in place of Watson last year. Winston can do the same, and he’s much younger at 30 years old.”
On the surface, this looked like a security blanket for Watson, but in reality, it’s a security blanket for coach Kevin Stefanski and Berry. If Watson lays and egg early in this season, they now have a viable replacement for him.