Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston learned plenty of things during his rookie season in the NFL.
He learned that NFL teams do a much better job of punishing you for turning the ball over than the teams facing Florida State can manage and that it is better to keep things simple than trying to do it all on every play if you want to avoid those turnovers. As he explained to TheMMQB.com, those lessons kept coming after the season.
When coach Lovie Smith was fired, Winston says he learned “that you can never take stuff for granted.” Winston also absorbed some lessons from other players when he went to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii last month.
“The most important thing I learned is I have to get my body in shape, because those men look good,” Winston said. “Not just the other quarterbacks -- everyone. Their bodies look good. But also, Russell Wilson’s preparation at the Pro Bowl. You know, it’s a relaxing event, and he is still doing everything the right way. He is the first one to the huddle, leading guys in stretches, running everywhere you go.”
There were some concerns about Winston’s conditioning heading into the draft last year, although they didn’t stop the Buccaneers from selecting him first overall and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with Winston once he hit the field. Improvement in that area isn’t going to hurt him and the observation shows Winston’s understanding about all of the things that go into being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
That should provide optimism inside the Bucs organization about continued improvement for Winston when his second season kicks off later this year.