The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming into training camp with Jameis Winston expected to start ahead of Mike Glennon after being taken number one overall in the draft and this comes as Lovie Smith has not yet named an official starter, while Doug Martin will compete with Charles Sims and Bobby Rainey at running back.
The Buccaneers took Winston with the top pick in the draft after a distinguished career at Florida State and the team is expecting him to be the starter in Week 1. According to Pro Football Talk, Smith has not named a starter yet and he likely will put together the "quarterback depth chart" when training camp starts. Winston likely has the edge, as the Buccaneers are starting from the bottom and do not have much to lose by starting Winston.
Glennon has shown some potential over the past couple seasons and he could be dangled in a trade at some point this year. Glennon is a solid backup in case Winston gets injured and the rookie will need some competition in training camp to keep things sharp in workouts. Winston has all the tools, but he is still a rookie and having Glennon and another veteran on the roster could help him adjust to the NFL quickly.
During the early part of offseason workouts, Winston and Glennon were splitting reps with the first team offense. Winston is a rookie and that could be part of the reason for that, but Smith likely wants to keep both players working hard into training camp. Winston said he hasn't "earned it until i Get it," regarding the starting job for the Buccaneers. Winston said in late June that he is looking to lose weight heading into training camp and that should help him operate in offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's scheme better.
The offense is centered around throwing the ball and Winston likely will have a lot of responsibility as the starter when it comes to getting the ball down the field. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans on the outside along with rookie Kenny Bell, the Buccaneers should have plenty of chances to go deep. According to ESPN Bucs reporter Pat Yasinskas, Winston looked better as offseason workouts progressed and that he expects him to be the starter once training camp ends. Glennon has a strong arm, but Winston is the future and the team is hoping he can start pushing the franchise in the right direction.
The running back situation should help Winston get adjusted, as the Buccaneers may have some depth if Doug Martin can return to rookie season form. According to Pro Football Talk, Martin has had a strong offseason and could end up as the starter this year if he continues it in training camp. Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports that Martin has had his "best offseason in three years" and this is coming as Martin is headed into the final year of his contract. Martin is competing with Sims and Rainey to be the starter in camp and he is hoping to return to rookie year form when he rushed for over 1400 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
