Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston raised some eyebrows when he said he wants to play at 250 pounds this season. Winston has been chubby at times, and 250 sounds awfully heavy for his frame.
But the Bucs’ brass says there’s no problem with Winston packing on the pounds, as long as he’s doing it more in the weight room than in the kitchen.
New Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said that Winston might be able to withstand more hits if he’s a little heavier than the 231 pounds he weighed when he entered the NFL.
“I mean whatever he feels comfortable at without bad weight, stuff that will hurt your scrambling or hurts your mobility,’’ Arians told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “It sure helps when they try to sack you.’’
Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht agreed, saying Winston is training this offseason to withstand what could be a tough year in a new offense.
“It’s good weight, first of all,’’ Licht said. “And in Bruce’s offense, sitting in the pocket, you’re going to take some hits. . . . So you want to put some armor on. I still think that he’s going to be mobile. . . . I think it actually could be helpful in that way.’’
Although it sounds a little strange that Winston could weigh 15 pounds more than Cam Newton, Winston and the Bucs are on the same page. They think 250 pounds is a good weight for him to be.
