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Report: Jameis Winston may be leaning against declaring for NFL Draft

By Josh Hill

Dec 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) at media day for the 2015 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) at media day for the 2015 Rose Bowl at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jameis Winston isn’t playing in the National Championship next week, but his name is going to be talked about endlessly as he decides whether or not to declare for the NFL Draft. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the N0. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and are followed by the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. Two of those teams need quarterbacks while the other two could be open to trading with a team willing to move up to draft a passer atop the draft board.

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As it stands now, Marcus Mariota seems to be the consensus No. 1 overall pick, followed closely by Jameis Winston. The only problem with that is, Winston may not declare for the NFL Draft this year and could return to the Seminoles for one more season.

This doubt in Winston’s immediate NFL future is nothing new, but is gaining more steam thanks to a report starting to surface that those within Florida State are telling NFL teams at the top of the draft not to count on Jameis Winston declaring for the NFL Draft this year.

After the Rose Bowl massacre, it was reported that Winston was only worried about focusing on his baseball career with the Seminoles, as he tried to burry the emotions of the loss. That was initially seen as nothing more than a defense mechanism, but it’s now looking like Winston is seriously considering putting his NFL future on hold.

This makes a lot of sense, as the prospects for Winston’s future are not bright if he lands in Tampa Bay or Tennessee. The Bucs may select Marcus Mariota No. 1 overall, leaving Winston to drop to either the Titans at No. 2 overall or slip in the draft like Geno Smith.

Staying another year at Florida State would allow Winston to sharpen his skills, take another shot at a National Championship and try to erase the bad taste he had put in the mouths of scouts with his off-field antics.

There’s still a pretty decent chance that Winston declares for the draft, as he has until January 15th to make a final decision. Declaring hardly guarantees him a top spot in the draft, while staying puts him up against the risk of suffering an injury that sinks his draft stock.

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