Buccaneers will have private workouts with Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston

By Evan Massey | Mar 23, 2015

Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston (right) and Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota do an interview on the NFL Network after finishing their workout during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have private workouts planeed over the next two and half weeks with both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston.

As the 2015 NFL Draft continues to draw closer, the debate between which quarterback to take grows even more important for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have to make a decision on which quarterback to go all in with for their franchises future. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the team has private workouts scheduled with both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

The Bucs have private workouts scheduled at Florida State for Jameis Winston and Oregon for Marcus Mariota in next 2 1/2 weeks.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 23, 2015

Both quarterbacks have different skill-sets, and they are both capable of becoming legitimate starting quarterbacks in the league. They are so close in talent, and it seems that most experts are split on which quarterback will end up being better. Winston does have some off-field concerns, but the Buccaneers have been rumored to be leaning towards selecting him despite those concerns.

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Winston finished his collegiate career at Florida State with just one loss, but did have some issues with taking care of the football. He ended up throwing for 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. At 6’3″ and 231 pounds he is the perfect size for an NFL quarterback, but he has a lot of work left to do before becoming the type of franchise quarterback that the Buccaneers are hoping for.

Mariota put up much more impressive college numbers at Oregon, and doesn’t have the baggage off-the-field that Winston has. During his three seasons with the Ducks, Mariota threw for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Needless to say, the interception number is impressive and he was an excellent leader for the Ducks.

It is hard to pick between the two quarterbacks, but perhaps the private workouts will help Tampa Bay decided who to select.

There isn’t much room for the Buccaneers to make a mistake with the number one overall pick. They have been searching for a franchise quarterback for a while now, and they certainly don’t have that guy on the roster in Mike Glennon. Either of these quarterbacks would be an upgrade over Glennon, but they aren’t a guaranteed future star.

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