Fansided

Mike Evans not referring to Jameis Winston as starting QB

By Nathaniel Reeves

Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) works out prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) works out prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver isn’t ready to just hand the quarterback job to Jameis Winston just yet.

Few people should be happier that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston first overall to be the franchise quarterback of the future than wide receiver Mike Evans.

Evans is coming off a monster rookie season of 68 receptions for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns with a group of mediocre quarterbacks throwing to him. Winston is a tremendous quarterback prospect and if he indeed pans out, Evans’ numbers should only get better in the future.

However, Evans isn’t ready to make that combination a guaranteed reality just yet. In an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Evans implied that the quarterback battle was far from decided.

Evans’ heart is in the right place with that statement and you’d like to believe that everyone has an equal chance of earning a starting job. However, the reality is that Winston is going to start Week 1 or shortly after, barring some sort of disastrous showing in training camp.

Quarterbacks selected early in the draft, particularly number one overall picks, typically receive starting jobs very early in their NFL careers. Teams who invest that much in a quarterback need to see what they have right away in order to shape their franchise properly for the future.

Just last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars insisted that No. 3 overall pick Blake Bortles wouldn’t be the staring quarterback in 2014. That promise lasted all the way until Week 4 and Bortles started the rest of the year despite not being very good.

With Josh McCown off to toil in Cleveland, Mike Glennon would be the only real threat to start in front of Winston in Week 1. The Buccaneers already know what they have in Glennon, who seems more suited for a backup role as a quarterback who can hold his own but doesn’t have much upside. Starting Glennon over Winston accomplishes nothing for the franchise in the present or future.

The Buccaneers aren’t thinking Super Bowl this year with either quarterback, so it’s a good opportunity for Winston to get some game action. If Winston plays like a No. 1 overall should, the Buccaneers might not be all that far off from competing in the next couple of seasons.

We’ve already seen what Evans could do with Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, so the combination of him and Winston should be fun to watch for a while. Their partnership is likely to start Week 1.

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