Top pick Jameis Winston shows he's way ahead of most rookiesPete Prisco Senior NFL ColumnistCBS SportsJune 16, 2015 8:47 pm ET 
Jameis Winston works with the second team on the first day of Bucs minicamp. (USATSI) TAMPA, Fla. -- That's a hell of a good-looking, second-team quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had throwing passes Tuesday on the first day of the team's mandatory minicamp.Big, strong, good arm, good command of the offense, confident, animated. Kid had it all, which you wouldn't expect from a second-team passer.OK, time to stop -- both here and for the Bucs.Jameis Winston , who was the first overall pick in the May draft, is far from a backup. That's why his taking snaps Tuesday with the second unit, behind Mike Glennon, was a farce. You know who the starter will be on opening day. The media knows who the starter will be against the Tennessee Titans. And so do the Bucs.This is a lock: It won't be Glennon.So why even fake it? There is talk that this is a way to keep Winston humbled, rather than just handing him the job. But is that really necessary?"To me, you go through the offseason and they kind of let you know the rotation that you're going to have once we get to training camp," coach Lovie Smith said. "That's what we're working through. Once we come back for training camp, then the depth chart will matter. That's what we're trying to get to that point. You guys come out here every once in a while and you see him. He's gotten plenty of reps. [Defensive tackle] Gerald McCoy is not getting every rep."Gerald McCoy isn't a rookie passer who needs to develop timing with his starting receivers. McCoy isn't a quarterback who needs to face the top defense on a daily basis, rather than a group made up of guys who could be tending bar come October.I am a big believer in just getting on with it. Name Winston the starter, and move on.When asked when he expected to be the starter, Winston replied with a politically correct answer."I haven't earned it until I get it," he said.Yeah, and LeBron James hasn't earned the right to call himself the best basketball player in the world either.Watching Winston throw Tuesday, it's clear the kid has a great understanding of the offense already, but more than that he will continue to play with a gunslinger mentality.This won't be a quarterback afraid of chances. He wasn't at FSU, and he won't be here either.Winston threw a horrible pick in the goal-line work Tuesday, trying to squeeze a pass into a spot it had no business going. But he bounced back on the next two plays to throw two touchdown passes, raising his hands in triumph after the second one."It's snap and clear," Winston said. "When you make a mistake, snap and clear."On to the next play, which is a great trait for a young passer. Mistakes will be made, but letting them linger makes it a problem.Winston comes off as a football-head, a quarterback who loves the games, but more importantly, lives the game.Teammates have already raved about his drive and desire and study habits. With this being one of the final weeks for rookies, Winston said he would get away from Tampa some with his family. He has been going nonstop since camp opened last summer for this Florida State Seminoles.So time to leave football behind?No chance."I can't right now," he said. "I don't plan on getting away from it until I am done [playing]. I will definitely be in the playbook trying to get better."The youthful enthusiasm comes through loud and clear. This is a player who could own Tampa Bay, a region starved for a quarterback.There have been 36 starters in 39 years for this franchise, the graveyard of failed passers featuring the tombstones of first-round busts, recycled failures and never-had-a-chance quarterbacks. Trent Dilfer holds the franchise record for most starts with 76. Heck, that's not even five seasons.That's why Winston is viewed as the savior.Even with his troubled FSU past, including allegations of sexual abuse that were never tried in a court of law, as well as a laundry list of childish mistakes, this is a player Tampa is ready to love. There are already billboards outside the stadium featuring his likeness in his No. 3 jersey with the words: "Cannons will fire."That means his passes, as well as the cannons being set off every time Tampa Bay scores a touchdown.Those are some big expectations for a young quarterback, but even more so when you're trying to convince the always-tough court of public opinion that you aren't a bad guy."It's up to me," Winston said. "My actions speak louder than words. I just have to get better every day."He meant as a person."I know who I am," he said. "One thing being a man is knowing what you stand for and knowing who you are. I know who I am."Winston seems calm and open surrounded by cameras, a big smile on his face. But when I talked to him privately, he seemed more guarded. Then again, most of us would be after spending the last year in the spotlight -- both good and bad.When I mentioned face-of-the-franchise talk, he brushed it aside."I am just earning some respect around here," Winston said. "We have a lot of face-of-the-franchise guys. I am just accepting the role of quarterback."Winston hasn't set any goals, but he did mention a motivational quote he has taped to his locker. It came from former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.It reads: I'm pissed off for greatness.His locker has other notes posted on it that he says he looks at every day. Things like: Be confident. Be a winner. Be a leader.This isn't a rookie who just wants to hopefully see action. This is a player who wants his name someday up with the greats, and he seems willing to do anything to make it happen. His body has trimmed down, making him quicker in the pocket, and he says he will remain a guy who lives with his playbook (actually tablet)."I am very impressed with the amount of knowledge he has now about our offense," Smith said. "Jameis is one of the last guys each day."He was including the coaches.So if it's all so great, why not just end this charade? Winston is the guy who will either take this franchise back to a Super Bowl or make this regime look foolish for drafting him first overall. I say it's the former.Winston can make all the throws, but the best thing is he knows where to go with the football, with his football smarts seemingly ahead of where most rookies are at this point in their career.Not too bad for a second-teamer.
