Now, Pro Football Focus is fanning the flames
The New York Giants just had their first two padded practices of the 2025 season. The revamped quarterback room has engendered hope around the Giants’ building. Russell Wilson is a consummate professional with a Super Bowl ring, and Jaxson Dart is presumably the future.
I had boots on deck at training camp practice with our sage leader, Ed Valentine, on Monday. It was clear that Wilson was the starting quarterback of the team, and Dart ran with the twos, leaving Jameis Winston splitting third-team reps with Tommy DeVito.
The Giants signed Winston to a two-year, $8-million contract in March, just days before Russell Wilson agreed to a one-year contract with New York. Since Winston signed all the way back in March, the Giants added two quarterbacks. I love the investment in the quarterback room, but it does leave Winston in an interesting spot.
Winston is coming off a 296 pass attempt season — the most (by far) since 2019. He threw for 2,121 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season for the Cleveland Browns. He’s only 31 years old and is better than most — if not all — third team quarterbacks, so should the Giants entertain moving him before the season starts?
Pro Football Focus’ Brandley Locker listed Winston as one of the top-15 trade candidates in the NFL. Below is the rationale:
After spending the start of his NFL career as the Buccaneers’ primary signal-caller, Winston is deep into his second act as a journeyman backup. That road may include another stop soon.
While with the Browns in 2024, Winston tallied a 69.5 PFF passing grade with 11 big-time throws and 18 turnover-worthy plays. The 31-year-old displayed that he’s still capable of slinging the ball at a high level in spurts, producing 82.0-plus PFF passing grades against the Steelers and Bengals last year.
The Giants are likely to start either Russell Wilson or first-round pick Jaxson Dart, leaving Winston as the team’s presumptive QB3. New York could keep the former first overall pick in that role, but Winston figures to be most teams’ top trade target when a quarterback injury inevitably happens.
Some teams around the NFL could use Jameis Winston’s skill set, and the former Heisman Trophy winner could even push for starting reps at certain places. However, I like the idea of having a strong quarterback room that will not crumble if the starter suffers an injury. I also like the idea of surrounding Jaxson Dart with competent and experienced leaders.
I won’t be advocating for a trade unless there’s an obvious return that can’t be refuted. Winston has a valuable presence that’s independent of the starter’s health. He has an infectious personality and comports himself well with his teammates. I would rather have Winston on the team in case of an emergency than trade him for a sixth-round pick.
Other notable players on the list are Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Cincinnati edge Trey Hendrickson, and Dallas edge Micah Parsons.
