Confidence is high in Jameis Winston. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers immediately named the former FSU star their starting quarterback despite the presence of Mike Glennon and now the expectations for the rookie have skyrocketed. The past few seasons, Tampa Bay has met their downfall due to quarterback inconsistencies and they are hoping Winston ends that streak. With the new quarterback in place, the fantasy value for his teammates is expected to get higher.
Early returns on Winston's performance have been positive. The Buccaneers believe they have found their guy in the rookie quarterback, but can he sustain the play throughout the entire season? According to Winston, he is not concerned about his level of play dipping.
"I don't think about hitting a wall," Winston said, via NFL.com. "This is the first time I'm able to play quarterback year round and I'm so excited. I've never had the opportunity to just hone in on my footwork on my arm speed and everything. So it's been exciting."
Last season, several young stars had quiet years thanks to quarterback issues. Winston will change that. The Buccaneers are hopeful that means Mike Evans is poised for a huge year with the team. His rookie season was positive, but the Buccaneers want more with Winston under center. The wide receiver was quick to give the quarterback all of the praise.
"I heard he learned the offense in two days, a day or two, something like that," Evans said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "Crazy. And he's a quarterback, so he has to know what everybody's doing. Me, it took me a while and I only have to know one or two positions. So that speaks for itself. Great football mind. One of the hardest workers I've been around."
Evans and Vincent Jackson are considered home run hits for the Buccaneers and fantasy owners alike. The two receivers are expected to form a strong tandem in 2015. However, the run game could see a major boost as well. After a breakout rookie season, Doug Martin has been quiet over the past two years. However, this season head coach Lovie Smith is loving what he sees from the running back and he believes he can duplicate the 1,454 yards he had his first season in the league.
"The sky is the limit," Martin said, via ESPN.com. "We have a lot of potential going into this year with this team. We have a lot of weapons and a lot of guys with fire in them that want to be successful. I just can't wait to get out there with them."
The Buccaneers lack quality depth at the wide receiver position, but they are stocked with running backs. Mike James and Bobby Rainey could see some time on the field, but Martin is expected as the lead back. Winston will be handed the starting reigns as many people believe Glennon has a trade target on his back. However, with just Seth Lobato as the other quarterback option, Glennon remain as a backup at least until the end of the season.
