Bucs Carrying Jameis?
June 10th, 2015
Look, it is June. Joe’s concentration this time of the year is tilted toward gawking at lovely lasses in tanned legs while nursing cold beer on a hot afternoon more than who the starting long snapper will be. Sorry.
And since it is June, it is slow news period of the NFL, one in which all of us tend to blow up the minutiae.
Take “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston. A lot of fans have been pointing to him working with the second team. Joe honestly believes this is not a signal that something is wrong.
Last year, the Bucs got third degree burns knighting Anthony Collins, turnover-prone Josh McCown and Ghost Johnson starting jobs when it could be argued none of them deserved one.
And Bucs coach Lovie Smith did his absolute best to will castoff Mike Jenkins into a starting job. Can you imagine? In retrospect, it seemed the only way the Bucs avoided this ghastly mistake was Jenkins getting hurt.
Monday, in a stand-up with Casey Phillips of Buccaneers.com, Jameis said something that made the antennae on Joe’s head spring to life. While Jameis taking reps with the second team may be a form of gamesmanship by the Bucs brass in effect saying, “No starting job is a gift,” Jameis offered a take to Phillips that made Joe take pause.
“Having great guys around me, you don’t see what you are doing wrong until you watch film,” Jameis said.
What does this mean? On face value, yes, Jameis said he is learning. However, it almost sounds like Jameis is being carried by his teammates. Odd.
Look, Jameis has been with the Bucs for a bit over a month. Joe doesn’t expect him to have the knowledge of even the quarterback of the past and the quarterback of the future but not the quarterback of the present, Mike Glennon, who is entering his third season in the NFL.
Joe isn’t sure if that should be alarming, or just the fact it is still underwear football in June?
June 10th, 2015 at 5:30 am
Pity poor Jameis. Must be tough being a 21-year old in a world where EVERY word you utter is subject to intense scrutiny by writers who feed off of your every word.
Wonder if there’s even a remote chance that Jameis was just being humble when he said that and was simply praising those around him for doing so well in this early camp.
Nah, what team leader would do such a thing. Humility? Praising teammates? What’s our Bucs world coming to?
June 10th, 2015 at 5:59 am
Maybe it is “Easing him into the NFL”
The speed of the game is faster than what he is used to even at his exposure to the high level of college competition that he experienced
Remember, only a handful of those that played at even the highest of levels in college make it in the NFL.
So everybody in the NFL (yes even a 2-14 NFL Team) is faster, smarter and better than ANY College players he has faced.
I like that they are not throwing him into the deep end.
He WILL be the starter on Day One
But how many times have we seen a Number QB Prospect go out and have a Great first year as a pro only to implode the next year after the Competition has Pro Game tape on them and time in the off season to game plan and scheme against them. RGIII and Mike Vick disregarded the fundamentals that make for a great long term NFL QB and relied on raw talent alone. Jameis already has shown the propensity to try to rely on his talent to carry the team (see his interception totals last year), so why not bring him into the NFL starting from scratch. They are not doing this ala Greg Schiano v. Freeman, this is just strong Coaching and emphasis on Fundamentals.
It is better to build a strong foundation NOW in OTA’s in JUNE than let early success build false confidence in Jameis’ head leading to long term failure or #NFLBUST
June 10th, 2015 at 6:50 am
Jesus Joe. Take a Xanax and chill out. That is Jameis just talking up his players. It’s like you’ve never heard him talk before.
June 10th, 2015 at 6:56 am
Seems more along the lines of, “Vincent Jackson making a great one-handed catch covered the fact that I led him a little too much.”
June 10th, 2015 at 7:15 am
ummm I got nothing on this one joe lol sorry man it was a nice try but yea I think the Xanax offering is good advice
June 10th, 2015 at 7:16 am
Guess he not so “skrong”
June 10th, 2015 at 7:48 am
Joe-
You should go back and watch all of his interviews at FSU, at the podium or one on ones…that’s just the way he talks. He always puts the praise on his teammates in interviews and has been consistent in that since he was first named the starter.
And yes it’s June – go easy on yourself buddy.
I.P.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:25 am
Honestly, I would be concerned if he weren’t being carried by the other players at this point. There’s no reason to assume that a rookie QB wouldn’t be drinking from a fire hose right now and trying his best just to keep up, regardless of how well his college system translated to the NFL. If he were on a level playing field with the veterans we have on the team in June after being drafted in late April, I’d be seriously concerned about the level of talent that we have on the team.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:28 am
Everything should slow down in Florida during the summer heat, I know summer is a week and a half away, but it really has been here awhile already. If we had a more just system life would not be so hectic. Work work work, where the heck is the down time? The rent is too damn high, everything is too damn expensive. This should be siesta time. What a stressful money driven entanglement our nation has become.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:30 am
Dag mac shots fired.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:52 am
Whoa Joe. Let’s be honest. Mike is a good QB, who can hit short, intermediate and long passes, but seems to fold under pressure in games.
So, watching him make reads and throws, without game pressure, can be really enlightening to another quarterback, even a first pick.
Also, running with the 2nd or 3rd unit means the receivers are not of the Jackson/Evans quality in running routes, catching, etc. It teaches you to adjust where the ball is placed and where.
It also gives you some rest time, when only the ones are practicing and it is Mike under center keeping his skills honed.
No one is carrying Jameis. It’s giving him the full impact of professional football from every perspective. Nothing more, nothing less.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:58 am
OTAs have overtaken pre-draft time as the “silly season”.
June 10th, 2015 at 11:28 am
Hmm maybe just maybe he’s not all that and a bag of chips like everyone thought?? Lol
June 10th, 2015 at 11:48 am
Supersam…dude can u just go away? Why do u find it necessary to be negative ALL the time? And no, your not a voice of reason. This guy IS our qb now whether u wanted Mariota or whoever else. Deal with and move on or would u rather the Bucs tank for four more years just so u can be right about Winston? Jiminy Christmas!
June 10th, 2015 at 12:13 pm
Another invented issue. Nothing to see here.
June 10th, 2015 at 4:58 pm
Gifting Jenkins the job would’ve been anything but a mistake, see the Atlanta 56 point gifting as evidence. All CBs that played in that game were completely lost. Considering Jenkins had played in a similar defense in Dallas, there’s a very good chance he wouldn’t have made the same mistakes Verner and Banks made in that game.
June 10th, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Well said David! Supersam you need to learn how to support your team. Nobody knows how Winston will turn out so let’s atleast hope for the best and support him as fans. Go Bucs!