Immediate Impact Rookies: Jameis Winston

This article will be one of many in a series of 2015 draftees who I think will have an immediate impact in some way, shape or form. Where they are drafted plays a part in this series as well, because chances are that most of the first two rounds of rookies will have an immediate impact on their teams. That doesn't mean I'm going to automatically put them on my list, as there is a lot that will factor into my analysis of these players. A few components that factor into my decision will be there skill level, the situation the player is drafted into, the amount of playing time I think they will get, etc. I hope to explain myself well enough for each player I analyze that my opinion isn't completely batshit crazy. Enjoy!

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Jameis Winston

Onto the most talked about rookie since... Well since Johnny Manziel. So it was only a year earlier. Well either way, I like to think that Winston's hype is more driven by his play, and actual quarterback traits. Winston being in an 'Immediate Impact Rookies' article seems fairly redundant. He was the first overall pick and went to a quarterback needy team. It's a no-brainer. Well even if this article doesn't need a brain, it's going to get one!

The knock that I (along with most football analysts) have against him is his decision making. He too often throws a ball he flat out shouldn't throw. Other than that and a slightly long release, I haven't seen much to dislike about the young QB out of Florida State. He has an arm that can make every single throw on the field, he has an incredible football I.Q. and he has solid accuracy to go along with it. My favourite trait about Winston, is he isn't afraid of anything on the field. If Winston throws a pick to Richard Sherman, and the next play he thinks the best throw on the field is right back at Sherman, he'll challenge him again. He trusts his wide receivers, and more importantly he trusts himself to always make every throw. Also he is very rarely shaken, which is huge for a quarterback of his stature. I do believe that Winston was the most talented player in this years draft, and I think he has all of the ideal traits every team looks for in a franchise QB.

The biggest reason he is on this list isn't for his talent, because that is well documented in the NFL media circle. The main reason why he is on this list is because I love the situation he is in with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has three huge, very talented pass catchers for Winston to throw too. Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins should help smooth over Winston's transition to the NFL. Evans especially, as he could be the top receiver in the NFL next season and it would not shock me one bit. With Mike Glennon as his QB, Mike Evans put up 1,051 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Winston is the perfect QB for Evans, as he will throw him 50/50 balls and not be intimidated by any defensive back covering Evans. Since Evans has arguably the strongest hands in the NFL, and absolutely dominates 50/50 balls, Winston will thrive when throwing him the ball. Oh yeah, and ASJ is 6'6 to go along with the 6'5 Vincent Jackson and 6'5 Mike Evans. So they should have quite the potent red zone offense.

I'm not going to completely ignore the negatives, as the Bucs offensive line is a big question mark on paper. They are relying heavily on two rookies, which might not go over well. Donovon Smith is slotted in at left tackle, and Ali Marpet should be their right guard. The rest of the offensive line is solid, but these two rookies can't falter under pressure and need to step up. The good thing is that Winston isn't known for crumbling under pressure. He has good pocket presence, and is deceptively mobile, so he doesn't need an elite offensive line to play at a high level (obviously it would help though). The run game the Bucs have is interesting. It's not bad, it's not great, but they have quite a few guys that could make an impact. Between Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey and Mike James, I expect somebody to step up and be a solid running back for Winston.

I like what the Bucs did to help Winston. They believe that he can be their franchise quarterback, and they drafted to support that sentiment. This will be a transition year for Tampa Bay, and they probably won't be all that competitive, but I'm a strong believer in Winston and I think he'll have a great rookie season that proves he can be their franchise quarterback.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offense

I think Jameis Winston is going to be a very good NFL quarterback. Based off of that, I like what the Buccaneers have done this offseason. Winston has all of the tools you want in a franchise quarterback. He has terrific pocket presence, a big arm, and he is one of the smartest quarterbacks to come out of college in a long time. He is questionable in his decision making at times, but he's reminiscent of a Ben Roethlisberger/Eli Manning hybrid. On top of that, both Big Ben and Eli have won Super Bowls, and I believe that Jameis Winston has the talent and poise to eventually win one too. Tampa Bay has put together a talented offense for him too. Mike Evans will be his go to target, and rightfully so. Evans has some of the strongest hands in football, and he has the size and athleticism to be a threat all over the field. He caught 12 touchdowns, and had over a thousand yards last season with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as his QB's, so he should put up even better numbers this season. Opposite Evans, Vincent Jackson goes into his 4th season with the Bucs, and he should put up better numbers in 2015. He only had 2 touchdowns in 2014, and that number should go up exponentially in 2015. They don't have a lot of wide receiver depth, but they won't necessarily need it if Evans and Jackson stay healthy. At tight end, Austin Seferian-Jenkins will look to expand his role in 2015. He has tons of talent, and is another big and tall weapon for Jameis to throw to. On the offensive line, Donovan Smith was drafted in the second round to protect Winston's blindside. He doesn't have the ideal athleticism for a left tackle, and he would probably make a better right tackle, but he has good bend and plays with solid pad level in pass protection. He is also enormous (6'6/338 lbs) and a mauler in the run game. At left guard, Tampa traded for Logan Mankins last offseason to bring some stability and a veteran presence to the line. He had a very solid season, and even though he is getting older, he's still a reliable guard. At center, Evan Dietrich-Smith has been a solid player ever since they signed him out of Green Bay. Tampa Bay drafted another offensive lineman in the second round in Ali Marpet. He played Division III football in college, but he has a very high ceiling as a guard. Marpet has quick feet, and he's shockingly strong too. It might take him a while to get acclimated to NFL competition, but when he does he should be a very good player. At right tackle, the Bucs have Demar Dotson who put forth a very good season in 2014. There was talk of moving him to left tackle after Tampa Bay released Anthony Collins, but with Smith playing LT he will man the right side again. He is a big, powerful right tackle, and should have another big season. In the backfield, Doug Martin leads a group of solid but unspectacular running backs. Martin has a lot of talent, and could be in for a big season behind better QB play, but as of now he shouldn't be viewed as anything but an average RB. Behind him, Bobby Rainey, Mike James and Charles Sims all will look to get some work. Sims has a high ceiling as a receiving back, and Rainey and James have both shown that they can put in some good work, but again, nothing overly spectacular. This is a very, very young offense. That much should be obvious. With that being said, it should still be better than it's bottom 4 finish in 2014. Jameis is an upgrade over McCown and Glennon, and Mike Evans should be even better in his sophomore season. A bottom 10 finish is still likely for the Bucs offense, but fans should just be wanting their young stars to show enough that the franchise can build around them with confidence. That would be a win for the 2015 Bucs.

Defense

As weird as it is to say about a bottom ten defense that didn't go through a lot of change in the offseason, there is a lot to like about the 2015 Buccaneers defense. They have two superstars in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David to build their defense around. They definitely are another draft away from really creating an impact defense, as there are some big holes they need to fill, but they have a solid core of player. On the defensive line, the Bucs have a terrific pair of defensive tackles in Gerald McCoy and Henry Melton. McCoy is one of the best interior penetrators in the NFL, and he dominates guards and centers to a point where you almost feel bad for the opposing O-line. Melton is a very underrated interior pass rusher himself, and he's now further removed from his injury so he could be even better in 2015. At defensive end, Tampa Bay is really thin. I mean really, really thin. George Johnson and Jacquies Smith are slotted as their starters, and both of those players (especially Smith) are underwhelming. At linebacker, as I stated earlier, Tampa has a star in Lavonte David. At middle linebacker, the Bucs are planning to use Bruce Carter (signed out of Dallas). I actually am really intrigued by this move. Carter is a very athletic player, and he has good instincts in the passing game, so don't be surprised if he puts up some big time numbers. As Lovie Smith's strong side "SAM" linebacker, rookie Kwon Alexander will get every chance to win the job. He shouldn't be expected to be an immediate star, but if the 4th round pick out of LSU is solid, then that is a big win for Lovie's Bucs. In the secondary, Tampa has a young group of players that is, for the most part, unproven. Alterraun Verner is solid cornerback, but may be better suited for being the number two guy in a defense. He has very good ball skills, and is very good in a zone coverage scheme, but can struggle when going man-to-man with the opponents number 1 WR. Opposite Verner, Johnathan Banks is coming off of a so-so year. He's okay, but not necessarily the best second CB. At safety, Tampa Bay claimed D.J. Swearinger off waivers from Houston, and they also signed Chris Conte from Chicago. This is an uninspiring duo to have starting for an NFL team. At this point in time, they both just aren't great players, and going into the season, safety is a big hole for the Buccaneers. This is a weird defense in Tampa Bay. They have two gaping positional holes at defensive end and safety. They also have two stars in Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy to go along with quite a few other solid complementary defenders in Melton, Carter, and Verner. The holes on defense are too big for me to predict a top half finish, but they should be just as good as last season (25th) and they should have more hope and promise going into the 2016 season too.

Tampa Bay knows that this won't be the breeziest of years. They are rolling out a rookie QB with a very young offense, and they don't have the elite defense that can smooth over that transition. This year should be about one thing and one thing only for Tampa Bay. Making sure Jameis is the face of the franchise, and doing anything they can to help him become that. I believe that Jameis can be a top QB in the NFL, and Tampa Bay needs to develop him so he can eventually become that. This should be somewhat of a long year for Bucs fans, but not without its fun! How about Jameis Winston and Mike Evans doing bad things to opposing teams for the next decade? That sounds pretty damn good to me.