Tampa Bay has been searching for a franchise quarterback for decades (especially after the recent struggles of Mike Glennon and Josh Freeman) and on Thursday night Lovie Smith believes he landed his guy.
As expected, former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was selected number one overall by Bucs.
Winston has all the tools, both physically and mentally, to be a fantastic Pro Bowl type slinger and his leadership between the lines is undeniable. The 6’3″ passer has a phenomenal football IQ (being compared to Peyton Manning), has great instincts, a big arm, toughness and the ability to stand in the pocket even when getting clocked by a defender.
I believe this pick is a home run and that’s because of what Winston showed in the “clutch” moments during his college career.
As a player who won a national title and only lost a single game with the ‘Noles, Winston has a single motivation, and that’s to win football games. When he is on the field and in the locker room, he can uplift his teammates and make them believe that he is going to lead them to the promise land and he proved that, especially last year when Florida State fell behind in a lot of football games.
Yes, Winston has his downfalls.
He has off-the field maturity issues, isn’t very athletic, has minor concerns about his weight and did throw 18 picks last year, but the positives outweigh the negatives.
Derrick Brooks, who is a Hall of Fame linebacker, has already said that he will mentor Winston and I truly believe with the right support system in place (which I think the Bucs will have) Winston will thrive.
It’s not Andrew Luck. It’s not Peyton Manning. And it’s not Tom Brady. But maybe the Bucs actually do have a legitimate franchise quarterback for the first time…. ever.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
