TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) In three days of training camp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has shown moments of brilliance with a few reminders of how far he still has to go grasping a brand new offense. For the first time in his NFL career, Winston is working with a playbook that was not written by Dirk Koetter, the Bucs former head coach and offensive coordinator.
Winston is now in the hands of head coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen.
“Consistency, solid,” Arians said after the first day in full pads. “He’s seeing the kitchen sink on defense so he’s gradually getting a better understanding of where to get the ball out of his hand.”
The relationship between Arians and Winston goes back to Winston’s teenage years when he starred at a football camp put on by Arians in Birmingham, Alabama. Arians never forgot the kid who was enamored by the sight of Arians’ Super Bowl ring. Now, Winston is living a dream working with the coach known as the “Quarterback Whisperer”.
“He’s an amazing coach of how he’s able to relate to the player,” Winston said. “I think he expects a lot from his players and he gets the most out of them.”
That sentiment extends to Christensen, who had to convince Winston to leave the team’s facility at the end of each day, during the off-season program. It was not just about working on life away from football, it was also about focusing on quality time while practicing or attending meetings.
The man you see in constant contact with Winston during practices is Leftwich, the former Bucs quarterback who served under Arians as a backup quarterback and eventually an assistant coach with the Arizona Cardinals. The Bucs offense is in his hands and he’s preached honesty in his relationship with Winston. Honesty, so the proper play calls can be made and the quarterback can be put into a position for success.
“Obviously we’ll get to know each other more now that it’s training camp time,” Winston said. ”And I think one thing from Byron is just that he played this game so I know he’s going to bring me a lot of great information.”
