Bucs GM admits to having serious concerns about Jameis Winston

There's nothing to doubt about Jameis Winston's performance at the combine. He exceeded expectations in every aspect. He shined in the throwing drills, showing how accurate of passer he is. He also shined in the interview portion of the combine. Teams even compared Winston to Peyton Manning. 

When you add up all of that, Winston seems to be a lock to being a franchise quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa holds the No. 1 pick in the draft and has a serious need at quarterback.

However, he is entering the NFL with off-the-field baggage. At Florida State, he was investigated for sexual assault (he wasn't charged), was involved in a BB gun battle that ended up with $4,000 damage at his apartment complex, stole soda from a Burger King, was caught shoplifting crab legs and stood on a table in the student union and yelled an obscenity. 

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is concerned about Winston's baggage.

"Bad guy or immaturity?" Licht, talking to TheMMQB.com's Peter King, said of Winston's track record. "I'm leaning toward the latter."

 

"But I'd be lying if I said I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the off-field stuff," he said. "It's always in the back of your mind. We're people too. We have wives and daughters and bosses to answer to. And at the end of the day we will do the kind of due diligence the likes of which I don't believe the Bucs will have ever done. This decision is going to affect so many people and their families. We've got to get it right."

He's 100 percent right to have these concerns. After all, if he makes the wrong decision, there are plenty of people who may no longer have jobs because of the move. It's a hard decision to make as well because Marcus Mariota has a perfect image and there are no concerns about his behavior.

"And now in these two quarterbacks, I see an amazing amount in common. They both had great success in college. Both won a Heisman. Both winners. Both tape junkies. Both coaches' dreams. Both mentally can handle the pressure of what they're about to face."

It looks like there's still a lot more decision-making that needs to happen in Tampa before they are solidified on who should be the No. 1 pick.