Buccaneers: Jameis Winston lawsuit does not affect NFL Draft plans

By Will Osgood | Apr 17, 2015

Mar 31, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston throws during FSU Football Pro Day at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports /

The Buccaneers are not letting the Jameis Winston lawsuit change their draft plans.

It was reported Thursday, that a lawsuit for sexual assault would be filed against former Florida State and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, Jameis Winston. Even later in the day, Pro Football Talk reported that the lawsuit “would not affect the Bucs’ draft plans”.

While it all seems shocking that the potential No. 1 overall pick would be facing a potential lawsuit for sexual assault exactly two weeks before he’s slated to officially begin his professional career, as a matter of saying, it really should not be surprising. And it should be even less surprising that the Buccaneers–who reportedly already knew about the potential of a lawsuit being filed against him before Thursday–would not change their draft plans because of it.

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The reality is that the only new news filtering through the cracks in this most recent Winston story is that there may be a second “victim” claiming she (assuming) was assaulted by Winston. Regardless, here are three reasons the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are right in asserting that the most recent allegations against Winston should not affect their draft plans:

1. As already mentioned, most of this is not breaking news, but simply the logical next step in a progressing story.

In the Pro Football Talk story, it is mentioned that the Bucs knew before Thursday that their may be a second accuser and filer of Winston. In other words, they have done their homework on Winston.

The fact the news went public does not, and rightly should not, affect their draft plans. This is essentially the same story that has lingered over Winston for the better part of 18 months now. It is merely the logical next step.

This was bound to happen eventually. And given the way the known accuser has acted in the past it should not be surprising that this news broke just two weeks before Winston was set to be drafted. It’s been the pattern throughout the past year and a half.

2. It’s a lawsuit, not a jail sentence.

Fansided’s CM Towle wrote Thursday that this should cause the Bucs and other teams to be wary of Winston in the first-round. While it’s impossible to dismiss that Winston does looming character questions, those can be separated from the fact that he will not face jail time as a result of any actions that may have occurred.

Civil law is different than NFL law. When a Yahoo! Sports story broke early in Reggie Bush’s rookie season with the New Orleans Saints that the former Southern California running back was being investigated for benefits his family received from the university, that did not affect his NFL career anyway.

Why?

It happened in college, and it had nothing to do with Bush breaking any federal laws. Thus, it was not seen by the NFL as suspendable offense. If this news were to have come out while Winston was in the NFL, and he had been found guilty of rape as was originally charged, then the NFL could take action.

Neither are true in this case. The NFL’s hands are tied, for better or worse.

3. It’s the NFL draft we’re talking about here, what else would they say?

Once the calendar turns to April, NFL teams are in full draft mode, as free agency is mostly completed. Teams are more secretive than the CIA and more cunning than any of the women on Desperate Housewives.

The Buccaneers remained both in allowing reports to surface that Winston’s lawsuit would not affect their draft plans. They did not spill any beans in what they plan to do on April 30. If there were a question prior to Thursday about the Bucs plans, then there still is Friday.

Nothing in a report about them not changing their plans suggests that Winston is, or is not, their man. Perhaps Oregon quarterback–known as a model citizen, especially compared to the list of baggage Winston has against him–is their man.

Or perhaps, something no one has really hinted at in the entire time leading up to the draft, the Bucs may pass on a quarterback altogether. That seems highly unlikely, but again the Bucs are an NFL franchise, which means they are not going to allow their plans to be known.

And as already has been shown here briefly, Thursday’s news should not change their plans.

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