Buccaneers Rumors: Are Tampa Bay and Jameis Winston done?

The latest reports surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and QB Jameis Winston aren’t looking favorable. Are the two parties destined to move on?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially used the franchise tag on EDGE-rusher Shaquil Barrett Monday morning, just a few hours prior to the deadline.

Through the weekend and since the official point where the tag was placed on Barrett, there have been several reports that the Buccaneers were becoming a legitimate contender for Tom Brady in free-agency.

The Tampa Bay Times‘ Rick Stroud reported that the Buccaneers seem prepared to move on from Jameis Winston and pursue other options in free agency.

The Pewter Report reported that the Buccaneers don’t feel there is much of a market for Winston and that it would be more beneficial for them to pursue these different options at this point.

Though neither publication- or any NFL Insider- has ruled out the possibility of Winston making a return to Tampa, it certainly seems the two parties are far from making a decision.

At this point, the Bucs are being linked to names like Brady and Teddy Bridgewater, and are content to allow Winston to test the open market. That doesn’t seem like a happy marriage or a relationship where two sides are actively seeking to get a deal done.

If Tampa Bay does decide to move on from Winston, they’ll likely be facing an uphill battle to sign Tom Brady. Though Chris Simms reported that it was between the Bucs and Patriots for Brady, other organizations certainly aren’t completely out of the picture and the Buccaneers will have to make a major pitch- including large amounts of money- to lure Brady out of New England.

These next few days in free agency will be interesting, nonetheless, for the Buccaneers as the organization attempts to fill its quarterback position.

Right now, though, it doesn’t seem that it will be Winston lining up behind center next season.