...People don't change. They are true to their core......Winston may in fact prove a lot of people wrong. But that's just it. It's a roll of the dice......the Bucs would be wise to trade down and stockpile draft picks and/or players, or take a shot with Mariota. It's not the sexiest move, but it's the safest. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-state-seminoles/os-jameis-winston-johnny-manziel-george-diaz-0209-20150209-column.html And so Johnny Manziel is in rehab.Let's hope the Tampa Bay Bucs are taking notes.Manziel's totally predictable freefall gives the Bucs a cautionary Buyer Beware warning regarding FSU quarterback Jameis Winston.Common sense should tell them to take a pass.No, Winston doesn't have any drug or alcohol issues like Johnny Football, but character and maturity issues certainly come into question. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? An immature and pampered prankster or just a college kid having a good time?We know the details, from rape allegations to the crab-legs deal at Publix to the sexually-explicit meme while standing on a table on-campus for the world to hear.Call it insensitivity or idiocy. Maybe both. But you think someone who faced the possibility of rape charges would have shown more restraint before launching a misogynic missile.So how you can connect the dots to Johnny Football and Famous Jameis?People don't change. They are true to their core. Manziel always has been the consummate party boy, which is fun if you are hanging with him late at night or just an interested spectator on Twitter. Not so much if you are a football franchise banking your future on this kid's ability to play quarterback and his emotional maturity.Just ask the Cleveland Browns.Winston may in fact prove a lot of people wrong. But that's just it. It's a roll of the dice.We've seen this movie before. Go to Google and type in "Lawrence Phillips." Try "Ryan Leaf," too. Or "Aaron Hernandez." And, lastly, "Michael Vick." It took prison time to set Vick straight, even though some people will never forgive him for his despicable role in a dog-fighting ring.Leaf is a excellent example of why the Bucs need to proceed with eyes wide open. Leaf and Peyton Manning seemed to be a bit of a coin flip in 1998 when the Indianapolis Colts were on the clock with the No. 1 pick in the draft.Leaf blew off a pre-draft meeting with the Colts. Manning, meanwhile, showed up wearing a suit and carried a briefcase and 25 questions to ask then-Colts general manager Bill Polian.Leaf was a bust with the San Diego Chargers. He recently was released from prison after doing time on drug charges. Manning is winding down a Hall of Fame NFL career.The Bucs are in a tough spot with the No. 1 pick in the draft. They need, using a familiar term from another sport, to hit a home run in a few months. They need a game-changer on their roster. They need NFL relevance.Lovie Smith's first-year report card should rate in the "D" to "C-minus" range, and that's grading on a generous curve. The team gave away games it should have won, particularly early in the season, and actually regressed from the downtrodden days of college rah-rah-rah guy Greg Schiano.The Bucs can't whiff with the pick.Winston is a tantalizing prospect. Assuming you can shake the rocks out of his head, he is much more NFL-ready than the other guy in the conversation — Marcus Mariota of Oregon.In early mock drafts, Winston still seems to be the guy. But the mock-draft people aren't NFL GMs.The onus is now on Winston. He needs to own the moment in private workouts and interviews with the Bucs.There will be no do-overs. If he gets entangled in one of those infamous Draft Day freefalls, it will cost him millions. Most importantly, he has a lot of proving to do that he isn't a jerk who happens to be a great quarterback.But with where everyone stands today, the Bucs would be wise to trade down and stockpile draft picks and/or players, or take a shot with Mariota.It's not the sexiest move, but it's the safest.Read George Diaz's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego or e-mail him at [email protected]
