Teammate: Jameis Winston not ‘fat’ anymore

Fresh off a last-place finish in the NFC South that saw head coach Lovie Smith shown the door, at least the Buccaneers can rest easy knowing that their prized young quarterback is in prime playing shape heading into next season.

Former Heisman winner Jameis Winston appears to have slimmed down some this offseason, and it has definitely caught the attention of his teammates in Tampa Bay.

“This guy was fat last year,” joked Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks per Zach Shapiro of Pewter Report. “He came back looking like a DB. You can tell Jameis worked his tail off.

“When you have a guy like Jameis leading your team, that makes everybody want to be like Jameis,” Banks continued. “He’s got everyone excited. You could just see him out here yesterday, how confident he is, even in the walkthroughs, making checks and getting guys in place. It’s awesome. Jameis, he’s going to be one of those Peyton Manning-type guys.”

Winston, for his part, agreed with Banks’ sentiments about leadership. “As a quarterback, you have to show these guys that you’re working,” he said. “I didn’t want to come back and have them say, ‘Oh, Jameis looks the exact same.’ I had to give them something to talk about, right?”

The 6-foot-4 Winston entered the league as a rookie last year at an official weight of 231 pounds. Even with the extra girth, he lived up to his billing as the No. 1 overall pick, throwing for 4042 yards and 22 touchdowns (albeit with 15 interceptions) en route to a Pro Bowl selection.

Though the former Seminole standout has struggled with weight problems in the past (as even he will acknowledge), it looks like Winston is starting to turn over a new leaf in training camp. Hopefully, all the pounds he has apparently shed this spring will help make Winston more mobile and more durable, priming him for a strong sophomore campaign in 2016.