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Jameis Winston and associates seem unconcerned about shoulder

 
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at the NFL football scouting combine on Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  Associated Press
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at the NFL football scouting combine on Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Associated Press
Published Feb. 21, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS — First, it was concerns about Jameis Winston's weight. Now, it's his shoulder.

The problem was detected during a routine medical examination at the NFL scouting combine. Winston had an Electromyography (EMG) to study a weakness in his right throwing shoulder, which often can be caused by a nerve problem that can be treated through proper therapy, according to a report by ESPN.

But Winston, his quarterback coach and his agent all said his shoulder is fine and he will participate in today's passing drills against Oregon's Marcus Mariota.

"I had an MRI just like everyone else," Winston said. "I've been playing football since I was 4 years old and my shoulder has been fine."

Greg Genske, Winston's agent, told NFL Network that, "Jameis feels incredibly strong and there is no need for treatment of any kind. There's no reason to believe he will experience any future difficulties."

Winston has played quarterback and pitched for the Florida State baseball team the past two seasons. He is not playing baseball this spring.

News of Winston's shoulder weakness came as a "shock" to his quarterback coach George Whitfield, who has trained him the past five weeks. He said Winston threw the ball fine Tuesday at a workout that lasted more than 90 minutes in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"He pitched all his life and never had any issues," Whitfield said. "He never had any surgeries. It's probably some observation. He threw at the University of Michigan. I know he's been working fine and playing fine. I'm sure they're just making observations, because from a physical standpoint, he's been doing everything.

"They do tests extensively here on all that stuff. It's actually kind of a little bit of a shock. He hasn't complained about anything. He's only been getting stronger, to be honest. He's got five straight weeks of lifting and throwing. He's getting into great shape. I'm sure they're being cautious like they're supposed to. They test these guys like astronauts."

Free agency again: The Bucs swung and missed wildly during free agency last season. QB Josh McCown was one (season) and done after 18 turnovers. LT Anthony Collins was a healthy scratch on the inactive list the last four games. DE Michael Johnson injured his ankle and had only four sacks. C Evan Dietrich-Smith anchored a bad offensive line. CB Alterraun Verner played his best at the end of the season but made little impact overall. The Bucs will cut their losses with Collins and others in March. But even with so many failures, they will not abandon free agency this year.

"We're building our team through the draft," coach Lovie Smith said. "But you still have to use free agency when you feel the need. We felt the need coming in and didn't know our roster well. We know our roster a lot better now.

"Again, we'd like to build it through the draft, but I think you use every avenue possible to improve your squad. It's not like we're out of the free agency business. Hopefully, we can make some better decisions. Just because something didn't turn out, we're not going to stop playing football. We're going to get back up on it and start doing things better."