Intangibles Make Jameis Winston the Best QB in 2015 Draft Class by Jose Martinez 8h ago 
Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston throws a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports In the NFL, head coaches and front office personnel get too caught up worrying about things, like the traditional build, attempting the right passes and making the correct reads, when considering a potential franchise quarterback. Now, don’t get me wrong. These things are an important part of assessing a QB’s worth, but there is one aspect that gets consistently overlooked and under appreciated: the intangibles.Intangible is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “not made of physical substance; not able to be touched.” With that being said, why would any coach, general manager and/or owner take intangibles into account? Well, in some cases, it can mean the difference between selecting Chad Pennington or Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. Or taking Brandon Weeden instead of Russell Wilson in 2012.When looking at the Combine, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota made some great throws, hitting those out routes in the right spot for the most part and showing some nice touch and strength on the deep ball. They seemed pretty fairly even, so there has to be one aspect that separates one from the other. This is where intangibles come into play. When Brady finished the Combine, he didn’t look like he would ever become the quarterback he is today. His photo was and is constantly mocked till this day and his 40-yard dash time was an incredibly slow 5.2 seconds. And what about Wilson? Prior to the 2012 NFL Draft, scouts liked his arm strength and accuracy, but they couldn’t get over his 5’11” height. It’s the reason why he wasn’t taken until the third round. Somehow, both guys defied the odds and made their way to this year’s Super Bowl. Why is that? Intangibles. It didn’t matter where Wilson and Brady were selected, they knew they had something to prove, needed to continuously get better and never be satisfied.That is what I see in Jameis. From the moment he declared for the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston was considered the best quarterback on the board, but he didn’t rest on his laurels. He used the time before the Combine to improve his mechanics with the help of George Whitfield Jr. He was already an accomplished quarterback, but he saw a place where he can improve and sought out a solid quarterback coach to make him better. Now, you may be saying, “And? Mariota worked with Kevin O’Connell and Philip Rivers!” But, it doesn’t end there.Let’s take a second to talk about that infamous picture of a shirtless Jameis? When he started the pre-Combine training in San Diego, Winston weighed in at 248 pounds. Once the Combine rolled around, he came in at 231. People saw he had a belly and the image raised plenty of red flags regarding his ability to remain slim. I saw things a little differently.Alex Marvez ? @alexmarvezWhitfield said it was important to Winston to show he wasn't "Jamarcus Russell 2.0" i.e. work ethic @SiriusXMNFL @RossTuckerNFL8:34 AM - 19 Feb 2015One thing that both Wilson and Brady had in common when they entered the league was this idea that they played with a chip on their shoulder and wanted to prove people wrong. Even before declaring for the draft, Winston has been called JaMarcus Russell 2.0. It’s the cloud that will hang over his head for his first couple of years in the NFL, but Jameis is using this as the chip on his shoulder. It will be the motivation he needs to prove people wrong.Did you see the clip of Winston with NFL Network’s Steve Mariucci? It shows the former FSU quarterback and Mariucci running through a play, the verbiage and how to best attack in that situation. While it was fast-paced and Mariucci was a little out there, Jameis showed a keen eye for quickly understanding what was being said to him and how to regurgitate the pertinent information when asked.Once Winston enters the NFL, there will need time to adjust. It happens with every player. But the aforementioned clip showed me that he is a fast learner who can receive and retain information with relative ease. This ability to quickly store and process football knowledge isn’t taught. It’s the reason why Jameis’ football IQ is reminiscent to that of Peyton Manning.When comparing Winston and Mariota on the field, there’s a whole lot to like about both guys. But, at some point, the Buccaneers will need to make a final decision about which one to take. If you throw out the off-the-field concerns, something needs to differentiate one from the other. If you throw intangibles into the equation, the choice becomes pretty easy. Famous Jameis is your man.link
