Best Fit For Jameis Winston?

Looks like Florida State will be looking for a new starting Quarterback next season. Why? Well 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has announced that he will be leaving the school and entering the NFL Draft. Many people have him pegged as the 2nd best QB going into June's draft, right behind reigning Heisman winner Marcus Mariotta. Some people also have him pegged as the 6th best player in the draft, which if it holds up means he could fall to the New York jets, who hold the 6th pick. But who knows if he even falls that far in the Draft. This does lead one to wonder where exactly will Jameis end up?

Being a Quarterback and winning the Heisman trophy hasn't exactly translated into being a success in the NFL. Currently, there are five former Heisman Winning QB's playing in the NFL: Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford and Carson Palmer. Those five QB's have a combined record of 132-157-2. None of them have a winning record and the only one who has won a playoff game is Cam Newton, who just did that last week. So being a Heisman trophy winning Quarterback doesn't guarantee that you are going to be a success in the pros.

As far as Winston is concerned, he has a ton of talent to play the position. Winston ranks fourth in touchdown passes (65), fourth in passing yards (7,964) and second in passes of 20 yards or more (124) since the start of the 2013 season. He has the arm strength and the talent to play quarterback, but there are a few red flags with him going into the draft.  He has laundry list of off the field issues, which include a rape allegation for which he was not charged, and served a one-game suspension earlier this season for yelling a vulgar phrase in an on-campus dining area. There are more problems that have been caused off the field, but those where the most notable ones.

Those are some major red flags that teams are going to take into account. If a guy comes into the draft with noted off the field problems, teams aren't going to be too keen on taking the guy because of those issues. He may have all the talent in the world but if there is a history of off the field problems, it could still translate into the pro game.

With all that being said, there still a few teams who could use the services of a guy like Winston. There's the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently hold down the top pick. They have plenty of weapons in the passing game, with guys like Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins. So he has enough to work with. If the Bucs decide to go the other way and take Mariotta with the pick, then the Tennessee Titans would be another good fit for Winston. Winston’s 6-4, 230-pound frame, accuracy and ability to move in (and out of) the pocket would probably make him a better fit than Mariota for the offense run by Tennessee’s Ken Whisenhunt. The coach’s best seasons have come with the assistance of Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner and Philip Rivers, who all share some physical attributes with Winston.

If for some reason the Titans don't swoop him up, there are still other teams who could use a quarterback of his talents. Tams like Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Buffalo and the New York Jets are all teams that are looking for a franchise type Quarterback.  The Bills, Jets and Texans have gone through a revolving door of starting QB's lately. St Louis is a solid starter away from being a contender, since there's no promise that Sam Bradford can stay healthy or will even be around after this season.

There really is no accurate way of being able to tell now where Winston will end up, or even if he will make it as a starting QB in the NFL. But if everything falls into place, the best fit for Winston will be in Tennessee with the Titans.