No surprise: Jameis Winston named Buccaneers starting QB

Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith announced Friday that No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston will be the team’s starting quarterback.

“Jameis Winston will be our starting quarterback, he’ll take the first reps tomorrow, “Smith said. We’re excited about that”. The Bucs are expected to start Jacquies Smith at right end and George Johnson at left end, but which players will join the team’s defensive end rotation remains uncertain.

The 21-year-old inked a four-year, $23.35 million contract with the Buccaneers that also included a a $16.7 million signing bonus.

In case it wasn’t obvious before, it’s crystal clear now: Jameis Winston is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback.

The Bucs will hold their first training camp practice on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. It’s open to the public.

But Smith said it’s time to make Winston the starter. We know what he’s capable of on the field, so it’s not surprising Smith is giving him a chance to prove himself. The third-year pro was relegated to the second-team offense while Winston began with the starters working to develop good chemistry with Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. “We feel like we’ve let Jameis go through a process of the offseason, getting limited reps, working with both groups”.

The Bucs open the regular season against the Tennessee Titans, who selected Mariota. Like I’ve said before, having a solid TE as a safe option is a great thing for a young QB. “We brought him here to be our quarterback and we feel like he’s ready to take this next step”.

“We’re going to be a good football team”, Smith said.