Bucs coach names Jameis Winston starting QB

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold their first practice of training camp on Saturday, Jameis Winston will be their No. 1 quarterback.

During the offseason workouts, Winston had alternated first-team reps with third-year quarterback Mike Glennon. If Winston can get comfortable with him during training camp, Seferian-Jenkins could even see a lot of targets as soon as the season starts.

He added that he’s confident Winston doesn’t need a veteran mentor – which is lucky as the Bucs don’t have one. While the trade is unlikely considering the only other option is Seth Lobato, but the idea should not be ruled out for next offseason.

But Smith said it’s time to make Winston the starter. “We’re excited about that”, he said. “We feel like he’s ready to take this next step”.

Widely known for his locker room and on-field leadership at Florida State, Winston has the critical intangibles necessary for getting the best out of his teammates.

Coach Lovie Smith made the announcement on Friday (July 31), reports ESPN.

“A lot of things go into that (decision)”, Smith said.”We’ve had a lot of evaluation of him”. We know what he’s capable of on the field, so it’s not surprising Smith is giving him a chance to prove himself.

“I feel strongly about this”, Smith said. Jameis is ready to take the reins and go with it. The mental part, the physical part, and just being a quarterback in the NFL and being able to take all the criticism that goes with that, he’s ready for it.

“A lot will be talked about the quarterback”. “But (Winston) needs to move into that role right now and we all feel good about him going there”.

Smith told the site that he “would never put a guy in that position if he wasn’t ready”.