Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht likes what he’s seen from quarterback Jameis Winston in his first two seasons, but Licht also says he’s going to see a lot more.
Licht said on PFT Live that it would be hard for Winston not to improve, given how much work he puts in during the offseason.
“We expect improvement,” Licht said. “No one works as hard as he does. He’s here every day, has been here the entire offseason for the most part.”
What the Buccaneers are working on is getting Winston to learn that he doesn’t have to win a game all by himself. Winston threw 18 interceptions and lost six fumbles last season, and the Bucs think he’ll cut down on those turnovers if he doesn’t try to do everything himself.
“Learning to know when it is OK to give up on a play and to throw the ball out of bounds, take a sack other than thinking you can make every single play,” Licht said. “That’s been ingrained into his brain on his own part, he is the first to admit that, and I think we’re going to see him make better decisions in that regard.”
Winston already has a pair of 4,000-yard seasons under his belt and he’s only 23 years old. If he keeps getting better, Licht should have a first-rate franchise quarterback on his roster for a decade or so to come.