http://deadspin.com/nfl-exec-drafting-jameis-winston-will-be-a-horrible-m-1700023804
Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel surveyed 19 scouts on the NFL prospects of the draft’s top quarterbacks, and they like Marcus Mariota’s chances to succeed a little better than they like Jameis Winston’s. They peg Winston as being about as likely to wash out as to become a competent NFL quarterback, and a handful of the scouts believe Winston has the potential to become an all-time bust.
One even invoked the dreaded JaMarcus Russell comparison:
“With Jameis Winston I see JaMarcus Russell,” a longtime executive in personnel said. “They do dumb things. Isn’t it interesting?”
“Interesting” is an interesting word. The exec continues:
“I see the body. I see the lack of focus. I see the same coach and system. Only Winston’s not as good an athlete and his arm isn’t as strong as JaMarcus’.
[...]
“Is this guy really going to be the first pick of the draft? You’d be drafting a quarterback that can’t run, has off-field problems, has no power in his legs and makes bad decisions on the field.
“Somebody’s going to make a horrible mistake.”
The history of the NFL teaches us that no one knows anything, and the history of pre-draft chatter shows that nothing anyone says should ever be believed. Still, there’s value in this Journal Sentinel poll just because of the number of scouts surveyed, and it indicates just how torn they are on both Winston and Mariota.
All-time great: Mariota one vote, Winston none.
At least one Pro Bowl: Mariota eight, Winston six.
Average starter: Mariota eight, Winston five.
Disappointment: Mariota one, Winston four.
Bust: Mariota one, Winston four.
We emerge with some anonymous quantification of what everyone’s generally believed all winter: that this isn’t a great draft for QBs, but the top two have enough potential that desperate teams probably can’t afford to pass on them. Inherent in that desperation is the chance that it could be a wasted pick that sets a franchise back a few years. The Buccaneers know they’ll be gambling; they just have to be proficient at gauging their odds.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...amarcus-comparison-made-by-unnamed-executive/
Is Jameis Winston the next JaMarcus Russell? He is according to one unnamed executive.
“With Jameis Winston I see JaMarcus Russell,” an unnamed personnel executive told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
McGinn is a longtime NFL reporter who frequently quotes unnamed scouts and executives ripping top prospects just before the draft. This year he’s found an unnamed executive who’s going all-in on Winston, comparing him to Russell in terms of their mental makeup, their physique and even the fact that both were coached by Jimbo Fisher in college.
“Lack of focus by JaMarcus is what I see in Winston,” the personnel man said. “They’re physically talented, but during the course of a game they kind of lose their focus and just put the ball up for grabs. I see the body. I see the lack of focus. I see the same coach and system. Only Winston’s not as good an athlete and his arm isn’t as strong as JaMarcus’.”
It’s worth noting, however, that Winston was a better college quarterback than Russell was. Russell was good at LSU, but he wasn’t on Winston’s level. Russell was drafted first overall because of his physical tools (6-foot-6 with a cannon for an arm) while Winston is likely to be drafted first overall because he’s a complete quarterback (a Heisman Trophy winner who led his team to a national championship).
Still, McGinn’s reporting makes clear that not everyone believes Winston should be picked first.
“Is this guy really going to be the first pick of the draft? You’d be drafting a quarterback that can’t run, has off-field problems, has no power in his legs and makes bad decisions on the field. Somebody’s going to make a horrible mistake,” another personnel man said.
That somebody is almost certainly going to be the Buccaneers, who appear poised to make Winston the first overall pick on Thursday in the hopes that he’s a No. 1 pick more like Peyton Manning than like JaMarcus Russell.
