Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

As I have been saying all along, Winston is the ONLY logical choice to start.

Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback

The New Orleans Saints will have an interesting decision to make at the quarterback position in 2021. With Drew Brees retired, New Orleans has an unclear picture at starting quarterback ahead of the upcoming season.

The betting odds suggest there’s one clear favorite, though.

Jameis Winston, who spent the 2020 season as the backup in New Orleans, is the clear favorite to take over at starting quarterback in 2021.

Pro Football Talk had the full odds, from Draft Kings:

Winston spent most of his career as the starting quarterback in Tampa Bay. However, the former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick was ousted from the Buccaneers when Tom Brady arrived last year.

Now, Winston will look to take over in New Orleans.

Sean Payton has made it clear that he wants a true starting quarterback, and not a two-QB system.

“I think the furthest we went with that would’ve been when everyone was healthy and Taysom was playing, call it maybe eight to 10 plays at quarterback. I would never discount that,” Payton said. “But I would say this, he knows and so does Jameis, that we’re looking to find a guy that’s going to lead our team this year.”

“And that doesn’t mean the other guy is not going to have a role. But certainly, it varies. If Jameis is starting, obviously Taysom has a role that expands not only just offensively, but on special teams, etc. And if it’s the other way around, it’s probably a little bit more limited just relative to what Jameis would do.”

The Saints are set to open the 2021 season on Sunday, Sept. 12 against the Packers.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I hate it as a Saints fan but I think he is the starter. We will draft early next year. Probably a quarterback unless Book surpasses JW during the season. I also see Michael Thomas requesting a trade. Without drew throwing on point he’s not going to be happy

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Mike Evans never seemed to suffer with Jameis at QB.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

So, what you are saying is that you don't trust CSP. Unlike his previous coaches, CSP is going to design a playbook that maximizes the potential of the player and minimizes the risk. And specifically, as both Brees and Winston have stated, the QB gets input into the game plan, incorporating plays that both feel are the most effective and makes them the QB the most comfortable.

The biggest difference is that Winston will no longer have to play hero ball all the time. With a solid run game and a decent defense, he'll have the opportunity to be a distributor most of the time.

SFIAH

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I hate to make this comparison, but it reminds me of the whole Bobby Hebert/Steve Walsh situation the Saints had some years back. They told Steve Walsh it was an open competition, but they new all along it was going to be Hebert.

I think they know it will be Winston, but they are telling Hill it's a competition to make him happy. And to make the preseason more competitive.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

It would be stupid to start Hill over Winston. Even if Hill was a slightly better QB the TEAM would still be better with a lesser Qb under center and Hill in his jack of all trades role.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Although I kind of agree with that, if Hill is the #2, are they gonna keep Book on the active roster as the other QB? Basically keeping 3 on like they done in the past.

I like Hill. Love the willingness to do whatever it takes to get on the field. I've not known a QB in recent memory that was willing to work on the punt team or go punish LBs. It's the reason I root for him so much. He's very humble. And in today's world of sports, there aren't many humble pro players. That's why he's one of my favorite players in all of sports. He is the only reason I actually watched last year. I just wanted to see him play.

I still hope he trains his ass off here in Idaho and goes back to NOLA and becomes the starter. If not, I would hate to see him riding the pine as the #2 and not used in all the other ways he's so beneficial to the team.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I agree with your “worries” about him not playing if he’s the backup jn. But they are paying him enough money that I don’t see him being wasted riding the pine. Payton will make sure they get their money’s worth out of him.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Once Payton, the coaches and rest of us get to see Book during training camp/preseason, it's going to get harder to resist getting him some playing time or starts this season. He has an ability to manage an offense and extend plays that I think Hill and Winston both lack. Winston's the superior passer, Hill the superior runner, and Book the best all-around QB - once he's ready.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Hill will not be the backup. It will be the same setup as the past two seasons with Winston as the starter (ala Brees), Book as the game day backup (ala Bridgewater and Winston), and Hill as the utility player/#2 starter in case of extended injury. Hill is too valuable to leave off the field and too valuable to simply play solely game manager at QB. Winston has already embraced that role publicly.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

We can say that all day cant we... but that is only half of the equation.

With the rest of the equation being how prone Sean Payton is to make constantly logical decisions. You may also want to consider that there has been nothing ground breaking in regards to Winston or Hill since last season yet that logical choice wasn't made in 2020 when Drew was out.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

As I posted in my previous reply ...

"Hill will not be the backup. It will be the same setup as the past two seasons with Winston as the starter (ala Brees), Book as the game day backup (ala Bridgewater and Winston), and Hill as the utility player/#2 starter in case of extended injury. Hill is too valuable to leave off the field and too valuable to simply play solely game manager at QB. Winston has already embraced that role publicly."

Last season the logical choice was Winston in the "game day backup" role, while Hill's game day preparations were as the Swiss army knife. Hill had the playbook down better than Winston for the long run, but Winston (with the game day prep) was to come in during the game if needed. Very logical.

This season with a full season under his belt Winston will be Brees, with Book as Winston, and Hill starring as himself.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Stop saying logic, you are ignoring that Sean Payton is not prone to rational decisions all of the time. There is no logical certainty with an emotional decision maker.

When you are this emphatic, you are generally trying to silence the voice in your head telling you there is a high probability of another result.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

You guys are pulling a Star Trek argument...Guido Spock is arguing about what logic dictates and Oak is pressing the Kirk do the unexpected/ chaos theory side. If I had the know how I’d make a meme!

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

The uses of Winston and Hill last season was perfectly logical. The fact that you feel Payton may make what you feel as an irrational decision at times doesn't negate that fact.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/8f...0e667ad93c.gif

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

You may be forgetting about a previous starter in the NFL with Trevor Siemian. Not a great player but really tall and has some NFL talent.



I think Book will somehow suffer an unspecific injury and be placed on IR so that the Saints can have three QB's with NFL starting experience available throughout the next season.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I can see that happening, as well. In that case Siemian would be the game day backup. Same logic applies.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

True Dat. Sean trusted Drew but does he trust Winston's input as much?

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

It's a collaboration. I'm sure that CSP will take the QB1 input under advisement and adjust the game plan accordingly. Brees was essentially an offensive coordinator on the field. So, obviously his input has significantly more weight. But Jameis has said in interviews that giving input to the process is important for success.

SFIAH

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Starting experience can be a bit overrated. I have a hunch Book could be like Gardner Minschew and able to get in there and do fairly well from the outset.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Possibly in a more simplistic scheme, but with all of the multiple packages and reads at the line I think any QB would take some time to begin to feel comfortable back there ... rookie or veteran. Timing is key in this offense and that requires no hesitation from everyone involved. Sure, Payton could "dumb it down" some, but experience is vital. Thus the reason Hill was the starter last season and Winston should be this season. I can't imagine either of the other two QB's playing more than the game day backup role this season.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

If that’s the way you want to put it then yes, if SP believes in JW, I don’t trust him. He has much more experience and is much more educated but that’s my belief, not his. I’d love to be wrong but I don’t see him being the future of the black and gold.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Fair enough! Time will tell.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Like a chameleon you shift from Nostradamus to Spock after Boston makes a comment that plays to your ego, then you actually post a meme to further cheer your self on LOL... You are drowning in your own narcissism. My comments have never been about what is the best or most logical choice, if you actually read what I have written. The discussion has always been about you using that template to claim to know what the outcome will be and me telling you that Sean Payton (you know, the man that makes the decision) is just not that predictable. Spock takes all possible variables into account, you do not, you are choosing to ignore a very impactful one.

After reading this, Spock would look at you and in a Morgan Freeman voice say "He is right you know"...

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I was playing to both egos in all fairness. Kirk kicks ass.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

I never implied I could read the future. I can, however, take what has been demonstrated in the past consistently and extrapolate that to the future with what I believe is fairly high probability. It is simple analysis. It is an important part of what I did professionally for 25 years as a business and systems analyst.

Does that mean it will work out exactly as I described? No. But I would be extremely surprised if it didn't.

Re: Saints Have 1 Clear Favorite At Starting Quarterback
 

Guido thinks like an analyst. He is Spock! I knew it! :bugeyes: