Tomahawk Nation is previewing the Florida State Seminoles 2014 season with a series of roundtable responses. Our authors chimed in on questions that piqued their interest. All updates will appear here.
Winston is saying all the right things in regards to checking down and taking what the defense gives him. While nobody really wants Winston to stop stretching the field, will we see him throw more to the backs this year?
Salukinole: I see a slight uptick in throwing to the backs but more focus on throwing shorter combo routes to the tight ends. Last year, Nick O'Leary was the only option at tight end while the addition of a healthy Kevin Haplea and integration of the two freshman can only assist in giving Jameis more options underneath. I am a little more skeptical on throwing to the backs given that there is no proven pass catching commodity. Karlos Williams has a year under his belt, and not much is known about Pender, Green, or Cook to exude any confidence that they will be more of a part of the passing offense.
Alan Mundy: I think Winston will be better in this regard when FSU spreads the field in passing situations. However, I'm not sure if it will be readily apparent as I expect FSU to operate with more tight ends on the field, run the ball and throw deep shots off play action. Those type of 5 and 7 step drop plays tend to include the backs more frequently in pass protection rather than as outlet receivers.
The other area where I think Jameis can improve in this regard is in not locking on to Rashad Greene as much in the quick game. Jameis thinks in terms of match-ups as much as scheme, which is something NFL coaches will love, but at the college level FSU's third receiver is probably just as big of a matchup advantage and if he's more open, that's the right throw.
FSU: I actually expect him to fully spread the wealth around. And Florida State doing that using two TE sets and deploying the backs as pass catching options.
Bud Elliott: I have to think that he will. I am expecting a significant drop-off at the receiver position compared to 2013, and Winston is no dummy. If his receivers are not getting as open, and aren't making the same sort of plays on contested balls, I expect him to adjust and do a better job of taking the open throw. But Salukinole is right in that none of the backs have distinguished themselves as of yet in terms of catching the football. In 2013, only 13 percent of the throws went to the backs, and I anticipate that going up to closer to 20 percent.