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Would Braxton Miller be a fit at Florida State to replace Jameis Winston?

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller is a college graduate and is eligible to transfer. Florida State is high on his list according to a number of reports, along with Duke, Oregon and some other schools.

The reasons why Miller would want to transfer to Florida State are obvious. FSU has an opening with the loss of Jameis Winston, and no proven backup. And more importantly for someone in Miller's position, Jimbo Fisher's quarterbacks get drafted. Over and over and over. For Miller, having experience in something resembling an NFL system, as opposed to the spread option run at Ohio State, could help his draft stock quite a bit.

But would Miller be a good fit at Florida State?

The upside is clearly there. Miller has (had? We'll get to that) a very strong arm, and is very mobile. If everything clicks, he could pick up FSU's system and perhaps lead the team to another ACC title in what many expect to be a rebuilding year after sending 30+ players to the NFL draft in the last three years. Miller gets drafted as a QB, and not as an athlete, etc.

But this is no slam dunk, even if FSU is Miller's choice.

First, consider that there is no guarantee that Miller's arm will be right. Miller has had two shoulder surgeries in the last year, the second coming after he dislocated his shoulder on a throw during which there was not any contact. At the time of the surgery, Urban Meyer stated that Miller would be out 9-12 months. If that timetable holds true, Miller could be back any time from mid-May, to the end of August. Missing spring practice and perhaps a big chunk of summer work and maybe even fall camp is not a good recipe for developing chemistry with his receivers and learning a new, different offense.

But even assuming Miller is healthy, and on the more favorable timetable,  there are still other major questions. Can he actually pick up a pro-style offense? How well? What sort of promises about operating within a pro-style offense, and not resorting to relying on Miller's legs would Fisher have to make Miller to entice the QB to come to Tallahassee? And what happens if Miller is unable to pick up the offense and the best plan is to run Miller a lot. Would the QB, who is likely trying to get drafted as a QB thanks to experience in a pro-style offense, bristle at the idea? Would he be alright with running a lot more than the typical pro-style QB? FSU fans saw what happened in 2011 and 2012 when QB EJ Manuel seemingly refused to run with the ball despite his legs being a far, far bigger weapon than his arm.

Then there are questions about locker room chemistry, etc.

If Miller were to pick Florida State, it could work out quite well, but there is also substantial downside risk.