Jameis Winston: Expectations For Tampa Bay's Rookie QB

“With the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select quarterback Jameis Winston out of Florida State University”. As soon as Roger Goodell uttered those words, all fans of Tampa Bay let out a sigh of both relief and anxiety. Winston begins his NFL career with the Buccaneers and it could end up being a long rookie year for Winston. In Winston's two years at Florida State he won the Heisman Trophy award, but also threw 28 interceptions Winston is a very aggressive quarterback that takes chances galore and he is one of those quarterbacks who probably trusts his arm just a little too much. Defenses and defenders in the National Football League are much bigger, faster, smarter, and athletic than those Winston faced in college. Basically, what I am saying is that if Winston was throwing that many interceptions in college, than he is probably going to throw plenty of interceptions now that he is playing with the big boys in the NFL.

Winston is joining a Tampa Bay team that has quite a bit of talent, but that also has some major issues. Winston will have plenty of weapons to throw at in 2015. Last years rookie sensation wide receiver Mike Evans, who had over 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns last year, will return along with stud wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who has had four straight seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards, to make up a very good one-two punch at wide receiver for Winston. Winston will also have running back Doug Martin behind him in 2015. Now Martin has struggled the last two seasons after his dominant rookie campaign in which he rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns, but there is reason to be optimistic after seeing Martin's very good preseason. Martin averaged 5.9 yards per carry in the preseason and it looks like he might finally be back. However, the Buccaneers main problem on offense is not their skill players, it is their very below average offense line. The problem that Winston might have in 2015 is staying healthy because he could take a beating in 2015. According to Pro Football Focus, Tampa Bay's offensive line ranked 26th in pass protection in 2014 and 25th overall. Tampa Bay did draft a few lineman in the draft, Donovan Smith from Penn State and Ali Marpet from Hobart, but they were not necessarily big impact lineman and it might take a few seasons for them to adapt to the NFL.

I fully expect Winston to struggle in 2015, but that is not the end of the world for the Buccaneers. I remember a certain quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning who in his rookie season threw 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. The 28 interceptions he threw that year, 1998, still remains the most a rookie quarterback has ever thrown in NFL history. After Manning had that disastrous rookie campaign, he would go on to win five MVP awards and will most certainly be a first ballot hall of famer when he decides to hang up his boots once and for all. Now I am not saying Winston is going to be the next Manning, but I am saying that just because he will probably struggle in year one does not mean he is hopeless for the rest of his career.

Winston's 2015 stat line: 54.7 CMP%, 2,764 YDS, 23 TD's, and 24 INT's