THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
PAGE 7
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Who do the Buccaneers take: Winston or Mariota?
Sean Collins
@seanzie 3
"MARIOTA"
It's safe to say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use a franchise-shifting quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft, as well as many other positions. The two players who are the most eye-catching in the draft are Marcus Mariota from the Oregon Ducks and Jameis Winston from the Florida State Seminoles. Both won Heisman trophies in college, but Mariota is the safer pick in this year's draft.
To start, Tampa Bay quarterbacks combined have had 20 interceptions in the 2014-15 season (14 coming from Josh McCown). Mariota only threw 14 interceptions in his three-year career at Oregon, along with 105 touchdowns. Although the Ducks fell short in the National Championship game to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Mariota's season was undeniably one of the best in recent years.
Winston was able to win the title last season against Auburn, but in the 2014-15 season, Winston's stats dropped dramatically, throwing 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. In his Heisman season, Winston threw 40 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. In 2014, Winston had five games in which he
threw multiple interceptions, including four picks against the Florida Gators, whereas Mariota only threw four interceptions all year. The Ducks were able to destroy their opponents all season long, defeating opponents by an average of 26.4 points per game. The Seminoles, on the other hand, only won eight of their games by one touchdown or less.
Mariota has a fully developed game that is built for the NFL of today.
As well as being a great
Winston also brings a bad reputation with the media and a questionable attitude, much like Johnny Manziel of the Cleveland Browns. With Mariota, Tampa Bay would acquire a more skilled and mature quarterback both on and off the field. Winston hasn't matured enough yet to show he is a sure pick as a franchise quarterback in the NFL, so picking him first over Mariota would be risky
"MARIOTA WILL NOT SHY AWAY FROM RUNNING THE FOOTBALL UNDER PRESSURE, AS HE SHOWED WITH 15 RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS AND 770 RUSHING YARDS THIS SEASON."
Additionally, Winston was in trouble with the law multiple times in his college career for
passer, Mariota will not shy away from running the football under pressure, as he showed with 15 rushing touchdowns and 770 rushing yards this season. The run game has shown to be a new luxury for teams in the NFL, especially for shining young quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson and Cam Newton.
Mariota is a solid fit for a team that is struggling to pass the football. Along with skill,
allegedly stealing crab legs and sexual assault accusations. A team that is already struggling like the Buccaneers needs to steer away from that. Mariota is good with the media and makes huge plays on the field while avoiding turning the ball over, making him easily the best decision for Tampa Bay to select in the upcoming draft.
Edited by Mitch Raznick
Joey Anguiano
@joey Anguiano
"WINSTON"
in charge of is drafting players, and the better the draft pick, the more difficult that task becomes.
One of the toughest tasks a general manager is
Jason Licht, general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is on the clock for a decision that will impact the team for years to come. Mr. Light, if I were in your shoes, I'd take Jameis Winston.
On the surface, let's be honest, Winston does have a couple of character issues: He lacks maturity, he's inconsistent, he isn't ready to be the face of a
and his emotions getting in the way of being effective.
Think about another player that still has character issues that include a lack of maturity and consistency: Dez Bryant. Yet, Bryant is one of the top players at his position, and I think Winston has the same type of play-making ability and potential.
Additionally, Winston could start on day one, with just a few minor adjustments to his game, if any. At 6 feet 4 inches tall and 230 pounds, there's no doubt he can jump right into the NFL physically, and when it comes to football IQ, he's also qualified. Winston played in a pro-style offense for two years under Fischer at Florida
"AT 6 FEET 4 INCHES TALL AND 230 POUNDS,THERE'S NO DOUBT HE CAN JUMP RIGHT INTO THE NFL PHYSICALLY, AND WHEN IT COMES TO FOOTBALL IQ. HE'S ALSO QUALIFIED."
State, and only lost one game. Winston was able to showcase his ability to read coverages throughout his collegiate career, and while his stats this past season
franchise, and he's moody. Remember the Rose Bowl? Jimbo Fischer threatened to sit Winston — which he did — because of a poor performance on the field
aren't what they were in his Heisman-winning season, they were still better than what the Buccaneers were putting on the field when Josh McCown or Mike Glennon suited up.
While Winston's off-the-field issues are a little bit concerning, you should pay just as much attention to his play. His playing style and physicality are reminiscent of Cam Newton, whose Carolina Panthers have won back-to-back division championships in just his third and fourth seasons in the NFL. Winston can turn the Buccaneers into the new version of Newton's Panthers, and all he needs is the chance to do so
Finally, from a marketing perspective, Tampa Bay is 240 miles from Florida State's campus in Tallahassee, where people already loved Jameis for two years. You can easily market Winston as the quarterback who has already brought one championship to the state of Florida, and will hopefully bring a second one to the state in a Buccaneers jersey. At the very least, Winston will bring people to the games and sell merchandise.
— Edited by Mitch Raznick
DAILY DEBATE RESULTS: WILL THE JAYHAWKS WIN THE BIG 12 TITLE?
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