Jameis Winston, Bucs Set for Trouble or Glory in 2015?
By Joe Wedra
Jameis Winston with the Tampa Bay Bucs has been set in stone for quite some time now, but it took just a bit of time for us to finalize and digest the two pairing up to enter the 2015 NFL season? How will the team fare to start the Winston era?
Our staff got together to discuss the issue. Join us as we break out, once again, our NFL Mocks Staff Roundtable: Jameis Winston style!
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Sayre Bedinger
"In order to have a good rookie season in the NFL, Jameis is going to need a good offensive line and strong weapons on the perimeter. Lucky for him, I think the Bucs have done a good job of surrounding him with that kind of talent. Last year, they invested their top pick in Mike Evans, who is a stud opposite Vincent Jackson at WR. This year, they invested in Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet, both of whom should start as rookies. I think he’ll have a solid season, but expect plenty of picks."
Matthew Holowiak
"I agree a lot with Sayre on this. They did a great job giving Jameis weapons to come into. To take it a step further one thing that will help him succeed from day one is his own playing style. We know he came from a pro style offense already, and he has fantastic vision of the field. He is not afraid to play risky and will do what’s needed to get down the field and win. His will power got him to Tampa, and it will help him win big this year."
Tyler Morales
"I think Jameis is going to have a great rookie season. Winston has solid weapons around him with Evans and Jackson on the outside. I believe Winston will throw around 25 TDs with around 15 interceptions. Similar numbers like Andrew Luck posted his rookie year. Winston should be on top of the rookie of the year voting and will give this franchise hope for years to come."
I’ll throw my hat in the ring here, too.
I’m of the belief that Winston was the best pure passer in the class. There’s little arguing that the Florida State standout has the potential to light it up on the playing field. Ultimately, his success or collapse on the field will center around his decision-making. He’ll need to learn to hit the checkdown more often instead of keying in on “his guy”.
Let’s be honest, it’s going to be easy to want to fit it in to Mike Evans on every play. You can’t blame a rookie for wanting to hit a 6’5″ target every time he gets the ball. To minimize his mistakes, Winston can’t be afraid to utilize his friends at the tight end position.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins was drafted for a reason. If all works out in a major way, he could make a lot of fantasy football owners very happy.