Legendary Ronde Barber Talks About Jameis Winston

The other day, a legend of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ronde Barber, was interviewed on CBS radio. The most important part of what he said was his opinion on how he sees Jameis Winston. The opinion of one of the great captains in franchise history, about the potentially most influential addition (for better or worse), is an important opinion. And even more so coming from Ronde Barber, with a 16-year career (1997-2012) as a cornerback/safety, during which he had to deal with all kinds of quarterbacks. Mr. Barber stated that what he most highlights about Jameis Winston is the confidence he has in himself, and the qualities he has to become a "gunslinger."

What is a Gunslinger?

This term, so old school, can be translated as "pistolero" in Spanish. It is used to qualify quarterbacks who dare with more deep and risky passes. Those passers who accumulate many yards and touchdown passes, but also accumulate a lot of interceptions. A gunslinger. Take Brett Favre as an example to get an idea.

The Decline of the Gunslinger

We now see this as an extinct species, but 30 years ago all quarterbacks had a lot of gunslinger in them, and gradually it has been declining. Now accuracy is valued, being able to gain yards in short plays, where in the past it would have been a handoff. Occasionally we see Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, or Tony Romo, take risks when they have to, and end up intercepted as many times as they miraculously complete. Now imagine if that were the general trend throughout the 4 quarters. Look up the statistics of Terry Bradshaw, Dan Fouts, or the recently deceased Ken Stabler.

Is Jameis Winston a Gunslinger?

He is a young boy who will enter the NFL at only 21 years old, after only 2 years at Florida State University. His playing style is still evolving, and will undergo changes when entering the NFL. Despite that, let's take a look at his two seasons at Florida State.

2013 Season

In 2013 (the year he won the Heisman Trophy for the best college player), everything was rosy, with 40 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He threw less than 400 passes, which is a little below what is usual for a season in college for a classic style quarterback. Also, there was no need for more, Florida State dominated every game that year.

2014 Season

In 2014, with things more difficult for a team that had to come back on many Saturdays, Jameis Winston threw up to 467 attempts. His accuracy did not notably decrease (from 67% to 65%), but the touchdown-interception ratio did, with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Throughout the season, we could see Winston throwing balls in questionable situations. This caused many losses, but he also managed vital touchdowns in an undefeated streak that lasted until the catastrophe of the Rose Bowl against Oregon.

Everything can change, and surely he has already been told to change to a more conservative mindset. But it is also true that he is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if there is one place where he can risk it all every Sunday, it is there, as there is very little to lose.