Buccaneers G.M. says Jameis Winston not a bust, has a bright future

[Captain Fear]

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The Buccaneers made Jameis Winston the No. 1 overall choice in 2015. He made one Pro Bowl, never led the team to the postseason and went 28-42 with only one winning season.

He did not turn out to be the franchise quarterback the Bucs had banked on.

But Winston did throw for a league-leading 5,109 yards last season, and he is only 26.

He remains a free agent, but Winston is better than many quarterbacks who have jobs.

So Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht did not agree with the characterization that Winston “was a hit or a miss” during his five seasons. Instead, during the conference call with the team’s beat writers, Licht provided a reference for Winston.

“We have a lot of respect for Jameis,” Licht said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “Jameis was still part of our plan if things went a different route. We’ve got a lot of respect for him. I thought he did a lot of great things, and anybody in our office or building would say the same thing. He did some spectacular things for us. I would never say that, personally — and I think I speak on behalf of the organization — that he’s a bust. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

The Bucs replaced Winston with Tom Brady, which prompted Winston to give himself props for the GOAT taking his job. “For you to get replaced by Tom Brady in a city that you love so much, I guess that’s kudos to me,” Winston said on Fox on Wednesday.

The Bucs might have brought back Winston had they not signed Brady.

“It’s just . . . really comes down to we had a chance to get Tom Brady, and Tom Brady is a hell of a player, and we’re very excited about that,” Licht said. “I’m very confident that Jameis is gonna go on and get an opportunity. That’s not the last you’re gonna hear from Jameis.”