Why an NFL team should avoid Jameis Winston

Jameis Winston is being sued by the woman who accused him of rape, so should NFL teams avoid him in the Draft?

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Former FSU quarterback Jameis Winston is now being sued by his former accuser for damages exceeding $15,000. People will say that it’s obviously a money grab and that Winston was never charged or even arrested for the alleged sexual assault that happened in 2012. That makes it amount to a distraction; a big distraction, but just a distraction nonetheless. The precedents of NFL teams overlooking a player’s dubious history are numerous and varied. It’s probably a stretch to see any NFL teams avoiding Winston entirely, not when the league is as dependent on quarterbacks as it is.

But suppose they did? Why would an NFL team avoid taking a promising quarterback in the draft who not only has toughness and playmaking ability, but came up in a system that should have him ready for the league sooner than a player like Johnny Manziel.

Then again, let’s talk about Johnny Manziel. Ignoring the fact that he was clearly not ready for the NFL from a physical and playing standpoint, take a closer look at how he wasn’t ready for the NFL from a mental standpoint. Take a look at the fact that he ended his first season in the league in rehab for alcohol. This is an example of an immature person who wasn’t ready for the fame, fortune or responsibility of being an NFL quarterback. It’s hard to imagine that the Browns aren’t regretting, just a little bit, the fact that they drafted him.

Now back to Jameis Winston. Is he ready to be an NFL quarterback? Looking at his laundry list of immature to very seriously wrong acts, it has to be giving teams second thoughts. From shoplifting crab legs, to getting suspended for shouting obscenities to being the alleged guilty party in rape, all should raise serious questions about his character. The main question any team should be asking themselves is whether he can be trusted. Can he leave the college life behind and realize that acting like a fool off the field usually, and especially of late, leads to serious repercussions from the league?

In conclusion, it’s not likely that NFL teams will actually avoid Winston. A good quarterback is too important and someone will take that risk. The Browns are proof of that. As for why they should avoid him, it’s obvious. He has off the field problems, period. He’s shown himself unable to resist basic immature things like shoplifting and shouting obscene Internet memes, and that eventually, at least allegedly, translated to a much bigger problem. Let’s not pretend it won’t happen again on a bigger stage.

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