It’s easy to see why there are significant concerns about former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston off the field. But there are questions about Winston on the field as well.
Although Winston was a great quarterback as a Heisman Trophy-winning redshirt freshman in 2013, he wasn’t as great in 2014. And NFL Network’s Mike Mayock noted after watching Winston’s Pro Day that there are serious questions about whether Winston takes good enough care of the football after throwing 18 interceptions last season.
“I keep going back to the point that he throws too many interceptions, and ball security is the most important thing to me for a quarterback. Off the field, do you trust him or not? There’s still some homework to do on that,” Mayock said.
Mayock considers Winston the top quarterback in the draft, but he also thinks there could be valid reasons to take Marcus Mariota ahead of him.
“If Marcus Mariota is in the same ballpark, if you’re an NFL franchise, then you take Marcus Mariota because you don’t have any issues off the field,” Mayock said. “If there’s a bigger disparity, then it’s a different answer.”
It appears that the Buccaneers are sold on Winston, on and off the field. Not everyone is so sure. Luckily for Winston, the Buccaneers’ opinion is the only one that matters.
