The New York Giants have gone about building their quarterback room in an atypical way this offseason. Not only did they go big game hunting by signing a veteran like Russell Wilson and using a first-round pick on Jaxson Dart, but they signed high-voltage vet Jameis Winston to a two-year contract as a backup.
Dart has been up-and-down throughout his first few days of Giants training camp, but such high variance is to be expected for a rookie who is coming from an offense that does not approximate what an NFL attack is going to be like.
The Giants have been giving Dart as many red zone reps as possible, cutting Winston's reps short in an attempt to mold Dart into a more polished passer. Per Jameis, this is bringing back memories of his time with the New Orleans Saints.
"Man, you know I'm used to it," Winston said. "If you remember in New Orleans, Taysom Hill...I used to drive the team all the way down the field, and then Taysom Hill used to come in and run quarterback power and score a touchdown, so I was like, 'Hey, Jaxson is Tayson Hill.'"
Jameis Winston compares Jaxson Dart to Taysom Hill
The Giants are certainly not building a quarterback room in the traditional sense. Starting a veteran like Wilson while Dart is on the bench is by no means weird, but signing Winston to a two-year contract when he is the least likely of the three to earn extended starting time is a bit unusual.
The Giants have a brutal start to the season, and it might be a disservice to a raw player like Dart to throw him into a meat grinder like that. Wilson is clearly not what he was, but he can provide baseline competent quarterback play in the early stages of the season.
Dart might not have Hill's level of athleticism at the quarterback position, but part of why the Giants are interested in him is his ability to extend plays and make throws out of structure. That might be one of the traits that could push him into the starting lineup quicker than they originally planned.
While the Giants are certainly hoping that Dart is a few leagues better than Hill as a passer from the pocket, Winston seems to be a big fan of Dart and what he could be in the right offense. It's nice to get a co-sign from a veteran like that.