Buccaneers: Jameis Winston could return on cheap contract

Fans of the Buccaneers are incredibly split on Jameis Winston. While it appears that a compromise is impossible, a cheap contract could smooth things over.

While the whole Jameis Winston story has been talked around far too much, most fans and reports assume that Jameis is either going to get a massive payday from the Bucs or will go find a new team to play for.

While the pro-Winston and the anti-Winston crowds could not be more divided, there is a potential solution that could change the situation.

The Buccaneers have not given Jameis Winston the franchise tag yet and have also allowed free agency to creep up. Tampa Bay has not moved with any urgency to sign a player that half of the fanbase sees as a necessity to winning in 2020.

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Those same people seem to think that Jameis Winston will get a massive contract from another team but what if those people are wrong? What if Jameis doesn’t find a market outside of Tampa Bay for the price that he wants?

There is a very real possibility that this could occur.

For starters, Jameis should want to stay in Tampa Bay. That would provide him with the best offensive weapons across the board and a coach that he could grow under.

It would be incredibly difficult for Jameis to transition from having weapons like those with the Bucs to those of the Raiders or the Bears.

It is also likely that these other teams may not want to bring Jameis in. Winston just came off a season with massive lows but equal highs. The inconsistencies may turn some teams off to the idea of bringing Winston in at the price that he wants.

This could force Jameis into a position where his only starting offer is in Tampa Bay but for half of what he wants. Tampa Bay would then have all of the leverage and could bring Winston back on their terms.

While the anti-Winston crowd would be upset at his return, it could soften the blow if he came back on a cheaper salary than the franchise tag.

This would give the Buccaneers more time to figure out what they have with Winston without having to break the bank. The Bucs could then sign some other big-name free agents to supplement the team and the outlook for 2020 would improve.

While this would still only satisfy one side of the Buccaneer fanbase, it is likely preferable to most people to bring Winston back on a cheaper salary if they plan to at all.

While the next few days will be very telling in what will happen, one has to think that if the Bucs were worried about Winston moving on they would have re-signed him by now. Regardless of what happens, big things are happening in Tampa Bay in 2020.