Sean Payton doesn’t think Saints “must” draft a quarterback

Gumbo

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Mar 19, 2019
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Sean Payton has said throughout the offseason that Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill will compete to become the successor to Drew Brees as the Saints’ starting quarterback.

Winston recently said he feels he’s outworking everyone at his position. Hill recently said he’s shifted his offseason work to focus on being a full-time quarterback.

But could there be a third member of the QB competition?

The Saints have the 28th pick in the first round, making it unlikely that they’ll pick up a top-flight quarterback in next week’s draft. But beyond that, Payton doesn’t see QB as a position New Orleans must address with one of its selections.

“I think relative to that position, it still stays the same in traits that we’re looking for,” Payton said Tuesday, via John DeShazier of the Saints’ website. “[But] I don’t think it’s a ‘must’ position. We feel like we’ve got real good players in the building.”

Hill started four games at quarterback while Brees was hurt in 2020, compiling a 3-1 record as a starter. He completed 72 percent of his passes for 834 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in those games, while also rushing for 209 yards and four TDs.

Winston relieved Brees at quarterback when he had to exit the team’s Week 10 win over San Francisco, completing 6-of-10 passes for 63 yards. But he did not throw another pass until his 56-yard touchdown in the divisional round loss to Tampa Bay. Winston led the league with 5,109 yards passing and 30 interceptions in his last season as a starter with the Buccaneers in 2019.
 
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