AN UNFILTERED WINSTON

The NFL draft is a little more than two weeks away and the fog around Jameis Winston shows no sign of lifting.

The former Florida State quarterback has been the supposed overall No. 1 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the long winter and spring vetting period, but no one can be sure what any team will do. And when the people closest to a top prospect doubt his worthiness, the draft can take odd turns.

That the Bucs need a franchise quarterback is painfully obvious after their 2-14 flop in 2014. But can it be Winston, who only played two seasons at FSU before turning pro? Yes, he won a national championship. Yes, he lost only one start in those seasons. Yes, he has all the measurables. But …

He was accused of sexual assault at FSU, though the local prosecutor refused to bring charges and the school later cleared him of violating its student code of conduct. A civil case remains possible. He had to do public service after leaving a grocery store with about $30 worth of unpaid-for crab legs. He was suspended for a game after shouting an obscenity at a campus venue.

Now, the lawyer who represented Winston in the sexual assault case has weighed in.

“I doubt that he is the first NCAA athlete to demonstrate that he’s immature and a knucklehead,” David Cornwell said last week. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL quarterback on the field, but he’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field.”

Ouch. Cornwell has backpedaled considerably since making those comments, saying no one could be ready for the NFL without having gone through the rookie symposium. Sure, those three days of lectures and exhibitions are lifestyle changers.

A bad decision on a franchise quarterback sets the team back years, alienates fans and gets coaches fired. It also means the whole process has to start over, and the Bucs haven’t been in the playoffs since the 2007 season.

We’ll see if the Bucs gamble. Not ready off the field? Then Winston can’t possibly be ready on the field.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .