Fansided

Buccaneers seem to drop hint they’re ready to move on from Jameis

By Rucker Haringey

TAMPA, FL - JUNE 12: Jameis Winston (3) looks for the open receiver during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minicamp on June 12, 2018 at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 12: Jameis Winston (3) looks for the open receiver during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minicamp on June 12, 2018 at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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If the Buccaneers’ preseason promotional video are related to Jameis Winston’s future with the team, he should be very concerned. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office has a big decision coming up on Jameis Winston’s future with the team. Their decision to exclude their starting quarterback from four preseason marketing videos makes it very clear the quarterback’s future with the Buccaneers is tenuous at best.

Instead of using their alleged franchise quarterback, the team elected to use Gerald McCoy, Mike Evans and Kwon Alexander instead. No offense to any of those players, but they don’t have quite the same face recognition that Winston does with fans. Of course, none of that trio is due to miss the first three games of the 2018 season due to violating the NFL’s conduct policy.

Fans who believe in Winston will claim the decision is purely based on the suspension. It’s completely understandable for team officials to keep Winston out of the spotlight for the time being. He’s currently enduring a public relations nightmare that the Buccaneers hope will subside as the season trudges along. Time will tell if that actually occurs.

More cynical fans might claim the exclusion of Winston in these videos is a clear signal that the Buccaneers are preparing to move on from him this summer. They’ve already exercised his fifth-year rookie option but, provided he stays healthy, they can cut him this summer without penalty. The combination of his inconsistency on the field and poor judgment off the field could easily cause Tampa Bay to chart a different course at the quarterback position.

Next: 5 burning questions the Buccaneers must answer in 2018

Drawing lasting conclusions about what the Buccaneers plan to do with Winston at this point in the season is fraught with danger. It’s safe to say the team isn’t enamored with him at the moment. Choosing to keep your starting quarterback off of your promotional materials is an odd choice for an NFL franchise. Of course, the Bucs’ odd choice is significantly better than Winston’s track record of decision-making. He’s clearly on thin ice with Tampa Bay.

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