Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith isn’t ready to say who he’s using the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft on.
But the more he talks about Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the more it sounds obvious they’ve found their guy.
Winston was the bulk of the conversation around Smith Wednesday morning at the NFC coaches breakfast, and rightfully so. Getting the decision right on a quarterback is key for the Buccaneers, on the field and in the community, given Winston’s track record. And Smith made it clear Winston was somebody he’s comfortable with.
“I believe in second chances, after I’ve done my research,” Smith said. “We feel very comfortable with who Jameis Winston is, what he’s done, and what he can become.
“Jameis Winston is definitely on our board.”
He laughed when asked why he didn’t go ahead and turn in the card, saying there was plenty of time to go through the “process,” calling it a “hard decision.”
But given the amount of time he spent talking about how players with potential character issues might fit into his locker room, there seems to be an obvious lean.
“The face of our franchise is Gerald McCoy,” Smith said of his Pro Bowl defensive tackle. “He sets the tone in there.”
That would certainly take the leadership burden off, say, a rookie quarterback. And that might be enough to make the Bucs feel better about what seems an apparent call.