Take a second, breathe in through your nose and then out through your mouth. Do that a couple of times and then hear me out. You ready?
Jameis Winston is the next Cam Newton.
Now give me some time to explain myself. I understand that Newton is an MVP quarterback that has been to a Super Bowl as well as the playoffs 4 out the last 5 years. I understand that he is a freak of an athlete that has the most rushing touchdowns as a quarterback. What you need to understand is that it also took him a few years to figure it out.
Similarities
Cam Newton:
- Drafted 1st overall in 2011
- 6’5”, 245 lbs.
- BCS National Champion
- Missed playoffs in first 2 years as a pro
- 58.7 career completion %
- 95 INT’s in 7 years and 3 games
- Off field Drama
Jameis Winston:
- Drafted 1st overall in 2015
- 6’4”, 230 lbs.
- BCS National Champion
- Missed playoffs in first 2 years as a pro
- 61.1 career completion %
- 46 INT’s in 3 years and a half of one game
- Off field Drama
Differences
Cam Newton:
- Ron Rivera (Very good coach)
- Good defense
- Dual Threat QB
- MVP
- Super Bowl Run
Jameis Winston:
- Dirk Koetter (Not very good)
- Poor defense
- Pocket Passer
Now that you have read all of the above you can see that I am not that crazy after all. The similarities outweigh the differences which help prove my theory. The biggest difference that people will argue is how different their styles of play are. Yes, Newton uses his legs a ton more than Winston, but that hasn’t stopped Newton from throwing all of those interceptions.
The big factor in how the rest of Winston’s career goes and if it will copy Newton’s all comes down to coaching. Ron Rivera has proven he is a legit coach in the NFL. Koetter hasn’t proved shit and could be why Winston and the Buccaneers haven’t taken the “next step.” Another huge factor is the defenses are completely opposite. The Panthers have had a sustainable defense throughout Newton’s whole career while the buccaneers have had Gerald McCoy and have fun naming 3 to 5 more players because I doubt most people can.
I am not saying to write it in the books and guarantee you that Winston is about to win an MVP and make it to the Super Bowl next year, but when you think about it… it really isn’t that far off.
