Column: Rosenfels on why Winston has been perfect ambassador for Bucs

Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.

“A quarterback is the ambassador of a football team.”

I was told this after an early season practice in 2005 by my quarterbacks coach, Jason Garrett. From that point forward, it always struck me how often that quote replays in my mind. The quarterback is the player that every teammate and fan looks to for answers, while microphones and cameras are in their face almost every day of the week. It's why the cliche, “face of the franchise” is accurate, as the quarterback represents a franchise's hope for a Super Bowl.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Jameis Winston the No. 1 overall pick in the draft just two seasons ago, there were many questions surrounding him. I will admit I was one of Winston's harshest critics, as I believe maturity is extremely vital to succeed as an NFL quarterback. Winston, during his time at Florida State, experienced one incident after another, which led me to believe he wasn’t mature enough to be the ambassador of an NFL franchise. Those incidents - from sexual assault allegations to stealing crab legs from a grocery store - had the red flags of caution flying furiously over him. And while his physical tools were unquestionably better suited for the NFL than No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota's were, Winston's lack of judgement was a concern for every NFL team. Still, after careful consideration, Tampa Bay went with Winston, and today they couldn’t be happier with the results.

In a division filled with the NFL's best set of quarterbacks, Winston must fight week after week for respect. The NFC South features first-ballot Hall of Famer Drew Brees, who's again leading the NFL in passing yards. In Atlanta, Matt Ryan is having the best year of his strong career, while Cam Newton is coming off an MVP season for Carolina, and grabs headlines nearly every week for his performances on and off the field.

Meanwhile, everyone in Tampa was concerned that their QB would make the news for all the wrong reasons. Instead, Winston has followed an encouraging rookie season with an even better sophomore campaign, as he quietly develops into one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Few realize this because Winston plays in small-market Tampa, where his impressive performances are not publicized the same way they would if he were playing for Dallas, New York, or Chicago.

Beforehand, the Buccaneers had consistently been near the bottom of the NFC since the days Jon Gruden walked the sidelines. That all changed with their pick of Winston, and Tampa Bay is now a team to watch as we head into the holiday season. The Buccaneers have won five in a row, including huge victories over the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Saints. Their defense held Russell Wilson to three points a few weeks back, and Brees to just nine this past weekend. The unit is legit, and I want to give credit where credit is due. This Tampa team will be dangerous if it makes the playoffs, and Winston has become the heart and soul of the franchise.

Let me break down some of the reasons Winston is so good. Most NFL fans don’t realize just how big he is. At 6-foot-4 and over 230 pounds, Winston has the prototypical pocket-passing quarterback body. Though he's a phenomenal athlete, Winston has always won games with his arm. He is extremely accurate and has great feet in the pocket. While I watched Winston on Sunday against New Orleans, a few things stood out.

First, Winston has the ability to extend plays when the line breaks down, which is impressive. Though he's a throw-first/run-second quarterback, he has the ability to create. To me, this is becoming one of the most important traits for an NFL quarterback. Because defenses are so fast and athletic, gone are the days where immobile guys like Drew Bledsoe can have great success. Quarterbacks must move around the pocket to create opportunities for teammates, and time after time, Winston kept plays alive by avoiding trouble.

The second thing I noticed Sunday was Winston's accuracy, and the key to being accurate is having great footwork. When experts talk about footwork, they're usually describing how a player escapes trouble and gets out of the pocket. However to me, it's the ability to stay balanced while the ball is in the quarterback’s hands. That balance is key while shooting a basketball, and it’s vital to throwing an accurate football. While only a second-year player, Winston has already mastered the skill of keeping his balance before throws. Whether he's at the “top” of his drop, stepping up in the pocket, or throwing on the run, Winston is always in position to make an accurate pass.

This is not an easy skill to learn. Sure, it’s easier for Dak Prescott to feel comfortable in the pocket behind the best offensive line in the NFL, but Winston joined a team whose line - and offense - was a disaster. Most young quarterbacks would develop “happy feet” and other bad habits, but while the Buccaneers’ offensive line has improved, Winston’s pocket presence has also helped elevate the unit.

Finally, as I look back at Winston's off-field issues at Florida State, it's easier for me to see why he struggled. In 2013, he won every award imaginable for a college quarterback. The Seminoles went undefeated and won the national championship, while Winston was just the second freshman ever to win the Heisman. Yet he was only 19 years old. Most motivational speakers talk about overcoming failure in the journey to success, but rarely do people understand the challenges of becoming an overnight success at a young age. The reason is because it’s so rare. How many young, famous musicians or Hollywood movie stars get in trouble before their 20th birthday?

It seems Winston has matured into the leader Tampa was hoping for when it made him the top pick just 19 months ago. My concern before the draft was that the last thing Winston needed was $30,000,000 - too much money rarely leads to maturity, but so far it hasn’t been an issue.

After almost two full seasons in the NFL, Winston is making headlines again. This time, and I assume for the foreseeable future, it’s because of his strong play on the field. The Buccaneers are back in the playoff hunt, and it's because they took a chance on a talented-but-flawed local quarterback to change the culture of their organization. So far, Jameis Winston has been the perfect ambassador for the Buccaneers franchise.

Alex Smith

I know I sound like a broken record, but I hate the term "game manager." Talking heads continue to label Alex Smith this way, when in fact he's simply a "game winner." When Andy Reid's teams have a strong defense, they are tough to beat in the playoffs. Especially when they have a quarterback who can make plays with his arm and legs, yet stays away from the costly turnover.

Derek Carr

Though Carr's been in MVP consideration all year, I was concerned about his performances through November and December in games away from Oakland. Carr grew up in California and Houston, so he's played very few games when the temperature was below 40 degrees. On Thursday night, with Kansas City's temp in the low 20s, my concern came to fruition.

Dak Prescott

Please read my above paragraph on Carr, and replace California, Houston, and Kansas City with Starksville, Dallas, and New York.