Jameis Winston Drafted by Buccaneers: Latest News, Reaction and Analysis

Jameis Winston's quest to prove himself worthy of being labeled a franchise quarterback begins now. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the Florida State product with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft Thursday, per the NFL.

On Friday, Winston signed his rookie contract with the Buccaneers, per the team. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network had the financial details, "4-years, $25.35M, source said. He gets a $16.7M signing bonus."

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times confirmed the Bucs have a fifth-year option. 

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports gave his thoughts on the pick:

Winston, who led the Seminoles to a 26-1 record during his two seasons in Tallahassee, is one of the more polarizing prospects in recent draft history. On the field, he's built an impeccable resume that includes a Heisman Trophy, a national championship and an underrated football mind that makes him an instantly translatable talent.

Off the field, though, Winston has become defined by a series of incidents—some benign and others potentially criminal.

He underwent highly publicized criminal and university investigations into an alleged sexual assault, both of which cleared him of any wrongdoing. He was also involved in a number of other minor incidents, most notably a theft charge after taking crab legs from a local Publix store without paying.

Factor in his one-game suspension for use of vulgar language on campus, and Winston has had to answer more questions about his character than his football skills.

"He's ready to be an NFL player on the field," Winston's attorney David Cornwell told Villanova's Moorad Sports Law Journal Symposium, per ESPN.com. "But he's not ready to be an NFL player off the field."

If people within his camp are questioning his readiness, it begs the question of how comfortable Tampa Bay is making Winston its franchise player. Winston himself bristles at the notion, claiming some have painted him into an image that isn't true, as he told Kurt Streeter of ESPN.com:

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So many people try to dehumanize me. They say, "Off-field issues." They say, "The sexual allegation stuff." People view me as a convict, and I didn't even do nothing. People say, "How does he play like this and all this stuff going on?" Like by me playing well during that adversity, that made people think about me worse, thinking I'm a sociopath.

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There is no question about his on-field acumen. Winston threw for 65 touchdowns against 28 interceptions during his two-season run at Florida State, flashing a Ben Roethlisberger-like skill set and above-average intellect that should put him under center Week 1.

Many, such as ESPN.com's Todd McShay, hoisted Winston over Oregon's Marcus Mariota, by far the safer off-field choice, because of his vast pro-ready abilities:

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He is just a tremendously gifted, natural passer of the football, and what really stands out about his game—particularly in comparison to Mariota's game—is his ability to see the entire field, make pro-style progression reads and throw with excellent anticipatory accuracy, from all kinds of arm angles and including when he's off platform.

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All of those skills make Winston a player the Buccaneers think is worth the risk. We'll have to wait until September to find out if they ar right.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.