Phil Simms: Jameis Winston Is Ready

April 9th, 2015

jameis 0409

Yes, Joe is aware of the misguided, ill-timed, trade-down crowd. And of course, there’s the chorus bellowing from the Marcus Mariota Band begging the Bucs to change their mind.

And then there is Phil Simms.

The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and noted NFL analyst for CBS Sports spoke to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean and stated if the Bucs are silly enough to pass on Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the Titans must not repeat the Bucs’ mistake.

Most draft analysts project Winston to end up at Tampa Bay, who have the first overall pick. If the Buccaneers don’t pick Winston, the Titans shouldn’t hesitate, Simms said, regardless of his off-field concerns. As for Mariota, who played in a spread offense at Oregon, adjusting to Ken Whisenhunt’s pro-style offense in the NFL makes him a bad match in Tennessee.

“They’d have to take him,” Simms said of the Titans, if Winston is available with the No. 2 pick. “He makes all the NFL throws, and he’s been taught like a pro. He has easily 20,000 repetitions as a pro quarterback. He’s as ready-made a pro as I’ve seen in a long time. He is ready.

“Marcus Mariota, and I’m not taking anything away from Oregon, he just hasn’t been taught. You’d have to make alterations to your offense and really teach what he does. … He doesn’t have time to make up all the time he wasn’t under center. And I don’t see top-10 arm talent with Marcus Mariota.”

Who is Joe to argue with a respected man like Simms?

Right now, despite Mike Mayock’s rankings, it sure seems it is not Winston vs. Mariota for Tampa Bay, but Winston vs. the field.

And the field is trailing.

79 Responses to “Phil Simms: Jameis Winston Is Ready”

  1. Nick Says:

    Goes back to the thinking of why all the trade rumors surrounding Mariota and not Jameis. Because the league expects us to take Jameis. TENN would turn in their draft card in a nano-second if Jameis fell to them. They’re staring down the barrel of Zach “My Charges Trump Your Allegations” Mettenberger.

  2. OB Says:

    Joe you have disagreed with Sims before but if Koetter is on board with the pick, so am I regardless of what they do.

    No one airs all of the dirty linen out, so we don’t know what the Bucs are going to do. It will be an interesting preseason and tell me again why have we kept the OL coach, is Koetter on board with that or is the big surprise coming?

  3. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    Joes,
    You can try to ignore it, but the tide is turning and when this process is complete, Mariota will be our QB.

    Gil Brandt and Jason Cole say that support for Winston is softening inside OBP. I believe Mariota dazzled them too much on Monday for them to pass on him. Better start showing Mariota some love, so you can claim you supported him all along just like Bridgewater last year. #TimetogiveuponWinstonfellashesnotgonnabeaBuc

  4. cdrew Says:

    Who am i to argue with PS. Lmao…

  5. cdrew Says:

    Mr. Can’t git er done ps.

  6. you can't fix it Says:

    Joe ,,, Your so sure of Winston that your just eat up with . You and your FSU friends just build Winston up to be the next coming of CHRIST. But I think your in for a big let down. ANOTHER THING YOU NEVER HAVE ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT A KID THAT WORK JUST AS HARD AS Winston DID IN COLLEGE. So how about you and your trusty friends be a little more nice about Maritoa ,,he is a good kid too you know…….

  7. WalkdaPlank Says:

    What Phil Simms should be doing is working on more commentating for that scam called Madden so I don’t have to hear another year of the same damn quotes.

  8. Patrick in VA Says:

    Can we all just agree that the debate that is being manufactured between these two quarterbacks, who are obviously playing at different levels when considering how their skills translate to the pro game, is less about people legitimately thinking that there is a chance that Mariota could be drafted ahead of Winston and more about needing to keep the buzz going when nothing is happening in the league. Let’s not forget that these people’s livelihood and continued employment relies on us being engaged in talk of the NFL year round. If everyone just said what is obviously the truth, then we’d have nothing to talk about and there would be no page hits and no podcast downloads until the draft.

  9. Barry Says:

    Changed their minds Joe? I didn’t know they made up there minds. Interesting.

  10. DEEnice07 Says:

    Bucs don’t over think this..Jameis is a plug & play

  11. Patrick in VA Says:

    I wonder how many of the interceptions thrown by Winston last year could have been avoided had he been a one sport athlete who was devoting all of his time to football. He could have learned more of the nuances of the offense and been more familiar with where receivers would be and what to expect from the defenses. Also, I wonder how an improvement to his mechanics, by not having to work part of the year at baseball, would have improved those numbers. I’m intrigued by what the potential ceiling for this kid could be.

  12. Jeagan1999 Says:

    “(If you take Mariota) You’d have to make alterations to your offense….” -Phil Simms.

    I’m afraid Mr. Simms is incorrect. We have a brand new OC and a brand new offensive system, so how does he know that ANYTHING would have to be changed to accommodate what Mariota does well? In fact our new OC coached alongside Mark Helfrich ( Mariota’s coach at Oregon ) for 9 years together! For all we know, he designed the Bucs new offense with Mariota in mind!

  13. Jacko101 Says:

    Very True Jeagan

  14. DEEnice07 Says:

    Patrick from Va your statements are so true, Mayock is blowing smoke big time! But hey it worked, that’s the news of the day! Amazing what people do for ratings, it’s clear if anybody knows anything about football, they know that JAMEIS is the man & Mariota is a project who “might” be the man on the next level. Let’s draft Jameis & Change the losing mentality that are team has had for years!

  15. tmaxcon Says:

    Winston is the only option Lovie Smith has.

  16. Bucfever40 Says:

    He sure was spot on with regard to Josh Freeman’s apparent thirst for the nightlife, and at a time when we fans had no inkling of a pending meltdown……I thought Simms was full of sh!tt! Turns out the man was right all along, and I think he is again here with Winston, which bodes well for us Buc fans!

  17. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    Patrick,
    You have perfectly illustrated why the Bucs have been showing so much public love for Winston this whole time: showmanship.

    Mariota will be our #1 draft pick. Take that to vegas if you’re wise. Make some money, bro.

  18. Bucs7363 Says:

    Draft Winston, sign Tebow to minimum and find a place for him, then make an offer to Adrian Peterson. After that Ray Jay will be sold out for long time.
    Just take a minute and think of it……

  19. robert 9 Says:

    he’s nfl ready AND TBPD ready baby!

  20. thegregwitul Says:

    All I’ll say is this; I would be happy with either QB, and while a lot of the focus has been on Winston, you can not rule out the Bucs drafting Mariota.

    Just give me one of the two top QBs and I’ll be happy.

  21. Chef Paul Says:

    I’m pro Winston but Simms has proven over and over again he’s a big dumb dolt!

  22. robert 9 Says:

    get your jumpsuit jerseys ready!

  23. erikISNTsoWISEman Says:

    The trolls on this site man. Its hard to read. Go rant somewhere else. Joe is the best beat writer the bucs have and i hope he is right about Jameis. Just to piss you clowns off.

  24. pick6 Says:

    the league needs a story down the homestretch. winston as the slam dunk #1 doesn’t provide enough page views for mayock and kiper’s employers. thus sudden jump of MM ahead of JW on certain boards has probably matched all of last week’s draft-related clicks in the hours after the news broke. as bucs fans, we are consuming every shred of Winston news. for most NFL fans (and some bucs fans) they’re ready to read something- anything – new. let’s sign winston a week before the draft, end the suspense, and invite him to our draft party at Raymond James Stadium

  25. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    People have been saying this about the Mariota Men, but I’m honestly starting to feel the desperation in these Winston supporters’ posts. I think everyone can feel that the tide s starting to turn in Mariota’s favor and by the time the draft gets here, he will be our #1 pick. Just like before Winston declared for the draft and all this hype began… Every single mock before then had us taking Mariota and that will be the end result.

  26. erikISNTsoWISEman Says:

    Oh, and you are doing your awful website notsocleanathletics.com a disservice by spewing so much idiocy and linking to it. Obviously your intelligence is lacking. #timetogetarealjobbro

  27. Patrick in VA Says:

    @Erik – Not so much. The tilt that you put on everything to support your confirmation bias is impressive in its creativity, but I’ll not let your assertion that anything that I said would lend itself to a possible move for Mariota

  28. robert 9 Says:

    wonder if they’ll go ahead and save some time and put INMATE on the back of his jersey.

  29. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    In 3 weeks, it will be revealed who the idiots and geniuses are. I’m very confident in the side I have chosen. And I know my website is incomplete. I have a full time job, but I’m launching my all-natural sports nutrition company in a month and I have the best all-natural preworkout on the market with testimonials from MD’s. Please stick to football. I took the web address off my moniker, geez.

  30. thedon Says:

    Robert 9 should be banned from this site. He’s just blatantly trolling now

  31. R.O. Says:

    Again with the INTs… Look at Dan Marino’s College stats. The stats in college don’t mean anything. Look at Daron Thomas’ stats who Mariotta replaced at Oregon. Stats in college don’t mean diddly squat…. Stop!!

  32. Patrick in VA Says:

    @thedon – Robert 9 is like a toddler. If you pay attention to the bad behavior then the bad behavior will persist. If his trolling does not resonate with the people he is trying to get a rise out of then he won’t get his fix and he’ll move on to another site where people are more easily roused. I wouldn’t expect Joe to kick out someone who is causing more comments to roll in. More views, refreshes and comments means more ad money. Makes sense. If you don’t acknowledge the behavior then it goes away

  33. Waterboy Says:

    For those who still want Mariota how about they just draft Darron Thomas in the 15th round instead I’m sure he’ll still be available and basically the same player.

    Google
    “Darron Thomas 2011 Highlights”

  34. robert 9 Says:

    this is a blog, and I treat it as such.

    some think their on the debate team or something.

    some regurgitate the same thing every day, stats, figures, blah, blah. it’s asinine IMO

    Some type 3 paragraphs detailing their points. I can’t believe anyone would put that much thought or care that much on a blog.

    it’s all fun and games at the end of the day. You call it trolling, I call it light hearted joking. whatev’s

  35. buddha Says:

    Talib, Mike Williams, MRSA, now Winston. We always get to be the laughing stock franchise. Winston will self-distruct. His interceptions and football skills will not make up for his character flaws and self-infulgence.

  36. James Says:

    Just because you chose a side doesn’t make you a genius.. Genius. I’m in the trade down club, however that’s not going to happen. So I’m pulling for a Mariota pick if it’s going to be either one. Personally I think both are going to be busts.

  37. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    James,
    You’re right, predicting that we will pick Mariota doesn’t make me a genius; my IQ does. I meant a football genius. And I seriously don’t think Mariota will be a bust. He’s too solid.

  38. bucs4lyfe Says:

    lol I cant wait until draft day I seriously cant wait to come here and see how many people on this site go mental crying about this pick….I can assure you if you don’t jump off the skyway bridge like Robert 9 will then we’ll have to listen to all the stupid uneducated comments about why he’ll never do anything in tampa. theres no reason why MM or JW couldn’t have a Matthew Stafford type of career in tampa. at the very least Winston is better than geno smith or teddy bridgewater. I would never tell anyone to jump off a bridge but if it comes to that or having to stomach the mental ignorance of people like Robert 9 well sacrifice the few for the many. get a grip people sooner or later you will have to root for Winston when he’s drafted or find another team. the butthurt comments make you look bitter and at this point your the only ones upset because it’s obvious Winston posts have you haters on your knees praying for MM to be drafted by tampa

  39. gotbbucs Says:

    Dan Marino fell in the draft because the media spread tons of crap about him being a drug addict. Dolphins fans could not be happier.
    If we pass on Winston we deserve to lose. The only silver lining to the Bucs passing on Winston will be that I will kill alot more ducks and geese in the fall for the next few years because the Bucs will continue to be unwatchable.

  40. BFFL Says:

    “I put the Philadelphia Eagles, their offense, in my bottom five,” Simms said.
    Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/birds247/2013/10/24/simms-eagles-offense-bottom-5-unit/#LLLTF1XOdH5e48IB.99

    Sounds like this guy has a personal agenda against spread type offenses. Lets try to get opinions from people a little less objective.

  41. Dan Says:

    “He’s as ready-made a pro as I’ve seen in a long time.”

    This ruins statement ruins his whole quote. Andrew Luck was drafted 3 years ago. 3 years ago!!! Next thing Joe is going to post will be a quote from someone saying “Not one expert is picking Mariota over Winston” hahaha.

  42. Getaclue Says:

    The geniuses and idiots will be revealed in 3 years not 3 weeks moron

  43. Dan Says:

    -gotbbucs

    Dan Marino’s draft class was one of the greatest QB classes off all time. Do you think anyone is second guessing John Elway going #1? Nope.

  44. Dan Says:

    -gotbbucs

    Dan Marino’s draft class was one of the greatest QB classes of all time. Do you think anyone is second guessing John Elway going #1? Nope.

  45. bucs4lyfe Says:

    yea Andrew luck was the man from day one though…Washington had to trade up for RG3 because there was no way indy was going to let anyone get luck. bucs are in a similar situation in that glennon is our Curtis painter and theres nobody on the roster that can beat out JW, if the bucs want to start glennon they may draft MM but if they want a day one starter JW will be the pick. im not saying JW is Andrew luck but in this draft class he is the closest to it. If licht is sitting back reflecting on his days in new England then the idea of drafting a quarterback and immediately energizing the franchise is too exciting to pass up and the way he’s been smiling when these quarterbacks come in for a visit i’d say trading down is out of the question

  46. robert 9 Says:

    see what I mean, buc4lyfe is always good for a paragraph long run-on sentence filled with dribble and hatred. reserved for anything Schiano, MG8 or your truly.

    funny stuff. it’s cute.

  47. Pat Says:

    Flashback…THEY had to take LEAF at 2 (Since Manning was gone). Poor Chargers.

  48. Joseph Mamma Says:

    I pray that we take whichever QB is going to be better long term, this ready right now crap is meaningless for the Buc’s. And arm talent means very little when you’re throwing picks. We had Freeman who had one of the strongest arms in the NFL, had that work out.

  49. CalBucsFan Says:

    Hey Joe, no word yet on the Bucs private workout with Winston? Thought that was scheduled to happen yesterday?

  50. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    1.) Philip Rivers
    2.) Mike Glennon
    3.) Bryce Petty

    We can work with that

  51. bucs4lyfe Says:

    @robert 9

    your strange but since you cant read ask somebody what time and day the draft will be….we’ll see what your posting on draft day.

    if the pick was MM i’d have no issue welcoming him to Tampa because it would mean they found something off field that they chose not to deal with but that’s the only reason he wouldn’t be the pick

  52. Supersam Says:

    They did have a private workout with Winston yesterday, and from what I understand it was very very short, almost 25 less throws than Mariota had the day before. I read that Winston was even a little “bugged” and “laughed” when the coaches told him how many throws he would be doing. Make of that what you will.

  53. Brandon Says:

    Jeagan1999 Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 9:34 am
    “(If you take Mariota) You’d have to make alterations to your offense….” -Phil Simms.

    I’m afraid Mr. Simms is incorrect. We have a brand new OC and a brand new offensive system, so how does he know that ANYTHING would have to be changed to accommodate what Mariota does well? In fact our new OC coached alongside Mark Helfrich ( Mariota’s coach at Oregon ) for 9 years together! For all we know, he designed the Bucs new offense with Mariota in mind
    —————-

    Bro, if you don’t know the difference between Koetter 10 years ago in college and Koetter after 10 years experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, why are you bothering to comment? This is the NFL…with NFL players…other than Chip Kelly, there isn’t a coach in the NFL that wouldn’t have to make significant changes to his offensive playbook, playcalling, and offensive talent to accomodate a spread option QB.

  54. Love and Warrick Dunn Says:

    Take a look at every single QB that Koetter has coached, even all the way back to pre-Oregon, like BC and Mizzou.

    Are they drop-back guys or other? Bart Hendricks may be the outlier.

  55. Brandon Says:

    Erik the WiseMMan Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 9:52 am
    In 3 weeks, it will be revealed who the idiots and geniuses are. I’m very confident in the side I have chosen. And I know my website is incomplete. I have a full time job, but I’m launching my all-natural sports nutrition company in a month and I have the best all-natural preworkout on the market with testimonials from MD’s. Please stick to football. I took the web address off my moniker, geez.

    ——

    #1, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that ALL pre-workoutare complete garbage and a waste money. And it also doesn’t take a genius to figure out that “all-natural” has zero supporting evidence to prove that it is better than non-organic…just more expensive. Unless you mean, “all natural” as in-no steroids… which would be pretty redundant, you can’t sell products in the USA that hasn’t been approved by the USDA, which means: no drugs.

  56. Buccfan37 Says:

    Mariota is too meek, the Bucs need a bold and brash QB, no matter his questionable past. Simms is right, Winston is ready day one to improve the Bucs. He is a rebel and that is enough to cement my decision that he is undeniably the right fit for the Bucs. After all being pirates is the teams calling. This other blather is an attempt to steal Winston away. The Bucs must go bold to break multiple seasons of mediocrity.

  57. MARIOTA-WATCH Says:

    ^^

  58. Pickgrin Says:

    There’s a decent chance Mariota will be a good NFL QB in time. He has a good passing skillset and is a great running QB. But playing in that crazy Oregon Offense did not prepare him very well for life as an NFL QB. He’s got a lot of catching up to do and it will take time for him to be ready to be an effective NFL starter unless he goes to the Eagles where that big learning curve is neutralized by an offense very similar to what MM is used to running.

    Winston will be ready to be a day one starter for the Bucs. He will surely make some mistakes due to inexperience as all rookies do – but he has the skillset and mental capacity to step in immediately and lead this franchise to victories. L&L can’t draft a project QB coming off a 2-14 season. They have to win and/or show major progress this year to keep their jobs. Simple as that…..

    And the Bucs LOVE Winston’s leadership qualities which I believe is the true determining factor in this decision.

  59. Brandon Says:

    CalBucsFan Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 10:38 am
    Hey Joe, no word yet on the Bucs private workout with Winston? Thought that was scheduled to happen yesterday?

    It wasn’t as much a workout as it was pre-contract negotiation. He threw 45 passes or so that the Bucs wanted him to throw from their playbook. Then they started talking contract.

  60. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Any word on Bryce Petty coming in for a workout?

  61. Drew Says:

    I think Joe believes Lovie and Licht read his articles and will draft Winston because Joe has a woody for Winston.

  62. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    Brandon,
    I respect your opinion, especially since you’re a beast in the gym. And I agree with your assessment, but I cannot include my preworkout in that category. I’ll send u a free bottle if u want. I promise it’s the most legit pre ever made up to this point. Super low caffeine (only 100mg), no proprietary blends, no additives of fillers; only real fuel for your training. It’s actually anti-aging, anti-cancer, fat-burning, strength building, & super healing…. that may sound like BS, but it’s all true.
    Again, I have testmonials from MD’s, mainly about crazy fast healing rates after surgeries.

  63. Love and Warrick Dunn Says:

    @Erik

    Seen this?

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150407141335.htm

  64. MM-ARMY Says:

    This just in…..Fran Tarkenton likes Jaemis over Marcus too….oh that seals it… get your #5 jerseys…..

    lol… These next 3 weeks are sure to bring lots of giggles.

    Please do not use the word Journalist in any blog post….you have said repeatedly that its your blog and opinion. A good journalist is objective.

    WoodyforWinston.com grab that URL!!! lol

  65. Pickgrin Says:

    Erik – a link to your site is one thing – but i don’t want to be reading a commercial for your “supplements” on a JBF thread. Your constant head in the sand claims that Mariota will be the Bucs pick are bad enough but don’t be trying to schlep your products on here dude.

  66. WS99 Says:

    @erik

    But does it grow hair? Ha just messing with you “mini-hulk”.

  67. Erik the WiseMMan Says:

    Love & Warrick Dunn,
    Thanks for the link. Interesting article…. I’m sure it’s accurate, but that doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice to eat a burger & fries (at any time). Although, most supps are probably even less healthy for than a burger & fries bcuz of all the artificial sweeteners & colors, etc….

  68. bucs4lyfe Says:

    if Winston is going to be the pick, i’d only hope that he can be convinced to change his jersey number

  69. The Buc Realist Says:

    if Winston is going to be the pick, I only hope that he can overcome Lovie Smith!

  70. WS99 Says:

    1. Still not sure why mike mayock is an expert.

    2. Not sure why people value the opinion of mayock over 2 SB qbs (Simms and Warner) to name just a few.

    3. Koetter designing a spread O for MM? Where are the speed receivers? I thought oregons O revolved around super fast guys at the skill positions.

    4. It dawned on me this morning that Peyton had Marshall Faulk his rookie year and Brady had Kevin Faulk, Corey Dillon and Fred Taylor his first couple of years. Which means we need an All pro back if we want our rookie qb to have a chance at success.

  71. Love and Warrick Dunn Says:

    @erik

    I think the key is, like many things in life, moderation.

  72. bucs4lyfe Says:

    yes because defensive coaches like rex ryan and lovie smith always call offensive plays during games lol

  73. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Gotta say, the three QBs whose opinions I respect least are King, Boomer and Sims.

    King is an idiot. Boomer and Sims are biased buttheads against the Bucs.

  74. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    On a side note, speaking of King, anyone take a good look at the photo above? Whose face does that look like (from his younger years)?

  75. Jeagan1999 Says:

    Brandon Says:

    April 9th, 2015 at 10:48 am

    Jeagan1999 Says:
    April 9th, 2015 at 9:34 am
    “(If you take Mariota) You’d have to make alterations to your offense….” -Phil Simms.

    I’m afraid Mr. Simms is incorrect. We have a brand new OC and a brand new offensive system, so how does he know that ANYTHING would have to be changed to accommodate what Mariota does well? In fact our new OC coached alongside Mark Helfrich ( Mariota’s coach at Oregon ) for 9 years together! For all we know, he designed the Bucs new offense with Mariota in mind
    —————-

    Bro, if you don’t know the difference between Koetter 10 years ago in college and Koetter after 10 years experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, why are you bothering to comment? This is the NFL…with NFL players…other than Chip Kelly, there isn’t a coach in the NFL that wouldn’t have to make significant changes to his offensive playbook, playcalling, and offensive talent to accomodate a spread option QB…..

    Actually….”Bro”….the FACT is that YOU have no idea what kind of offense Koetter is planning here in Tampa! It may not be a strictly pro style system….it may incorporate elements of other types of systems into it. Or it might heavily favor formations and plays that Mariota has run (with great success) while at Oregon. It might also be a “hybrid” system that has elements of “spread” and “pro style”…sort of an up-tempo pro-style. Maybe he’s brining back the “west coast” offense! YOU HAVE NO CLUE, nor does anyone else outside One Buc Place. So instead of making yourself look foolish in posts, (like your previous one) why don’t you wait like the rest of us to see what happens. We will find out soon enough!

  76. Pickgrin Says:

    I think it’s quite likely Koetter will be including some spread elements in his offense – with Winston as his QB. Winston ran spread throughout High school with great success.

  77. Brandon Says:

    Eric, I am always down for a free product. DM me the details on my Instagram account. And like your docs that endorse your product, which I’m sure they get paid for, I would be happy to give you my thumbs up if the product works, or if you’re also willing to pay me. 🙂

  78. Brandon Says:

    Jeagan,

    Okay, I look like a fool. I have no idea what he’s going to run even though I can look at the offenses he ran in Atlanta and Jacksonville the past several years to see that he’s running the same system that he’s getting paid to implement here. Why would he scrap his proven system to do experimental college crap he has not run in years? And besides that, he was never a Chip Kelly guy, Mark Helfrich coached under him and then Chip Kelly. that’s a very long way for an apple to fall from a tree.

  79. Jeagan1999 Says:

    Brandon,

    Koetter’s system in Jacksonville did have differences than the system he ran in Atlanta with Matt Ryan. All good OC’s change and adapt to the talent they have on the field. I suspect he will run a variant of what he is used to here too….BUT he will change it depending on the talent that takes the field. I’m not saying he will run the same system as Chip Kelly or Mark Helfrich, but a Marcus Mariota led Bucs offense would no doubt look different than a Jameis Winston led team, because they both have different styles, skill sets and plays that they favor. There is no way Phil Simms, you or me can know for sure what Koetter wants to do at this point….and he’d be a fool to announce it to the world and prepare them for what’s to come. I suspect that if he wants to closely duplicate the system he had in Atlanta, than Winston would probably be his choice….but if he wanted to take the offense more up-tempo, keep the opposing defenses on their toes more, and try to compensate for the fact that we have a horrendous offensive line, a QB like Mariota (who ran an up-tempo offense to great success in college) might be just what the doctor ordered. Of course Lovie could fool us all and trade back or go defense! Whatever happens, we will find out in just about 3 weeks. Until then, it’s exciting to think about all the possibilities, no?