Aug 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith looks on during the first half against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium. The Redskins won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
There Was No Outside Help When Making Their Final Decision
“On third-and-short I’m not calling for outside help.” That was Smith’s immediate response when asked if outside opinions played a role in the final decision on picking Winston. Even when Lovie attended Derrick Brooks’ charity golf event, there were a handful of former Seminoles players in attendance who voiced their opinion to him on who the Buccaneers should take with the top pick. “They let me know then what decision they thought we should make also,” he said. “Glad we are keeping them happy.”
In the end, the organization felt confident in selecting Winston after what they saw on video and what they heard from the scouting department. “It’s exciting when everybody has an opinion and everybody is an expert,” he said. “But, again, we went with what we thought on the inside of our building and we feel very good about it.”