Minnesota Vikings: 5 veteran quarterbacks who could replace Kirk Cousins

Jameis Winston (Saints)

The Saints gave the starting job to Jameis Winston this season and he took full advantage early on. After a blistering hot start, Jameis cooled down just a bit but was stringing together wins in New Orleans before tearing his ACL. With him now sidelined for the rest of the season, his future is full of uncertainty.

Some playoff-caliber teams in need of a quarterback will be smart to reach out to Winston this offseason. The Steelers, Panthers, Washington Football Team, and Vikings could all benefit from signing Jameis on a cheaper deal given his injury. He likely will not demand the same money that he would have just a few weeks ago but another prove-it deal outside of New Orleans could get Jameis back on track.

We all know that Winston is a hit-or-miss type of quarterback but things have calmed down since he got to the Saints. The turnovers are not nearly as problematic as they were during his final two years with Tampa Bay and the big arm has been on full display.

If the Vikings feel as if they can make the playoffs with Winston under center, it would make plenty of sense to sign him for significantly less than what they will be paying Cousins. The only hiccups with Winston are the knee injury and other suitors, which could require the Vikings to step up their offer.

Jameis is not the perfect quarterback and his success has been quite small since entering the league. However, in two seasons with the Saints, we have seen a different Winston than he flashed in Tampa Bay. This could be a very smart investment for a handful of teams.