Tampa Bay Buccaneers considering two-year deal for Jameis Winston

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reportedly considering bringing back QB Jameis Winston on a short-term extension, rather than using the franchise tag.

ESPN’s Jenna Laine said Thursday morning that the Buccaneers were ‘entertaining the idea’ of signing QB Jameis Winston to a two-year deal, according to “league sources.”

Laine was commenting on a story written by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which was discussing the possibility of the Buccaneers using the transition tag rather than the franchise tag on Winston for an option of bringing the QB back for about $2.5 million less.

The deal would be for roughly $27 million during the first year, according to Laine, with a team option for the second season.

Should the Buccaneers elect to re-sign Winston on a short-term deal like this, the organization could save the franchise tag and transition tag for other free-agents, potentially a guy like Shaquil Barrett, as a way to save cap space and open up further negotiations for a long-term contract.

Though Tampa Bay is still going to consider all of its options, it does seem that the more reports that come out, the more likely it is that the franchise is going to give Winston another opportunity.

It look as if the front office is trying to figure what the best course of action is moving forward so that they still have room to make moves during the 2020 offseason and aren’t tied to the hip with Winston should things go south next year.

For those wondering, should the Buccaneers consider the ‘transition tag’ option on Winston, they’d be risking losing Winston without any draft picks as consolation, but would still have the opportunity to match any offer that he received.

The Pewter Plank will continue to give updates and analysis as we hear new developments. Tampa Bay must make a decision on its franchise tag designations by 4 p.m. on March 10, which is less than three weeks away.