The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of reasons to potentially be concerned about quarterback Jameis Winston. But they continue not to be, in large part because they’ve done their homework on him.
One potential area of concern comes from the possibility that, if discouraged by the difficulty of adjusting to the next level of football, Winston will trade in the pigskin for the horsehide, leaving the NFL and embarking on a baseball career. That’s a possibility the Buccaneers have considered, and they’re confident it won’t happen.
“It always has been my dream, but I’m just playing football right now,” Winston said in February, leaving the door slightly ajar for the possibility of playing baseball and football professionally.
For the Buccaneers, who wasted the first overall pick 29 years ago on a running back who opted for baseball (Bo Jackson), the nightmare scenario would entail Winston deciding that football at the NFL level is much harder than he thought it would be, and opting instead to give baseball a try. For that reason, Tampa Bay’s research on Winston has included getting a frank assessment of his baseball prospects. While a role as a major-league relief pitcher wouldn’t be impossible for Winston, it wouldn’t be automatic, either. In turn, it wouldn’t provide the kind of quick-fix that could tempt a guy to trade NFL football for Major League Baseball.
The Bucs realize that nothing can be completely ruled out, but as they stand poised to make him the first overall pick in the draft, they’re confident that this Bo will know to stick with football.