Bucs Beat: Winston’s momentum has not derailed 
Jameis Winston’s pro day workout in Tallahassee attracted dozens of scouts, coaches and general managers. Winston completed 91 of his 102 passes. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: April 5, 2015 TAMPA — One of the things that coaches and scouts look for the most at a pro day workout is whether a prospect has made any progress toward correcting some of the flaws previously detected in his game.In the case of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, Buccaneers coaches and scouts saw precisely the improvements they were hoping to see during FSU’s pro day Tuesday in Tallahassee.Winston completed his playing days with the Seminoles with a very long delivery, one in which he often started his motion by dropping the ball down past his hip the way a pitcher in baseball does.That didn’t necessarily come as much of a surprise to scouts, because Winston has been a part-time pitcher for years, including his last two at FSU. Still, it was a flaw he needed to correct.And apparently he has.During his 102-throw workout on Tuesday, Winston seldom dropped the ball past his chest before starting his delivery, and that greatly pleased scouts eager to see Winston develop a quicker release.Winston also displayed improved footwork, particularly his ability to properly set his feet before the throw, and in his ability to properly step into his throws, which should improve his accuracy and velocity.“It was good to see that he’s got some good work in with George Whitfield,” Bucs quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian said, referring to Winston and his personal quarterbacks coach.“George has done a good job of coaching him up.’’It might not be long before Whitfield hands those coaching duties over to Bajakian. The Bucs have the first pick in the 2015 draft, and Winston is considered by many to be the favorite to go to them first overall.Tape doesn’t lieBucs general manager Jason Licht described Winston’s pro day performance as “outstanding.” As impressed as he might have been, though, Licht says he can’t allow one workout to weigh too heavily into his overall evaluation.“It’s always a trap,” Licht said recently when asked how much stock teams put into a player’s pro day workout. “A lot of mistakes have been made in the past with fast risers, guys that come out of nowhere this time of year.“Usually your purest evaluation of a player is what you’ve seen during the fall. You always have some juniors or underclassmen that came out that you’re behind the 8 ball a little bit on, but your most pure evaluation comes from what you saw in the fall or on tape.”Fast learnerThe Bucs sent a six-man contingent of executives, coaches and scouts to Tallahassee for FSU’s pro day, and they did more than just watch Winston and his Seminoles teammates work out on the field.During a private meeting, the Bucs also asked Winston to diagram a few plays they’d shown him on a grease board during the meeting they had with him at One Buc Place last month.Word from the Bucs is that Winston wrote up the plays almost exactly as they were shown to him during his visit to One Buc Place, an indication his retention skills are as sharp as the team expected. [email protected](813) 259-7979Twitter: @RCummingsTBO
