Which NFL Team Secretly Shadowed Jameis Winston on One of His NFL Combine Flights?

Jameis Winston, the presumptive No. 1 pick in April’s NFL Draft, had his share of issues off-the-field at Florida State, and while nobody denies his talent on the field, he’s got enough red flags to make any team that drafts him nervous.

The team that selects him – probably Tampa Bay – knows that he possesses all the tools to be a franchise QB, but he also possess the immaturity to be a colossal bust along the lines of JaMarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf.

And so, this happened:

Jameis Winston's QB guru, @georgewhitfield, said he was told that Jameis was secretly shadowed by an #NFL team on one of his combine flights
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 31, 2015

Apparently a rep from an #NFL team told @georgewhitfield that Jameis Winston had been watched on the flight by another NFL team. Interesting
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 31, 2015

I say smart move. You’re making a sizable investment. You run a full background check and maybe even hire a private detective. Of course Winston is going to act like a professional meeting with the team and the front office, but what’s he going to be like away from the team? Think about your behavior at age 21. Now consider your 21-year old self, about to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft and a multi-millionaire. (Also, see Manziel, Johnny.)

Is Winston friendly in public? A jerk? Polite? Rude? Is he going to berate somebody at the airport food court for messing up his meal? There are a million things to watch for, and while nobody would say that the Bucs – or any team – would make a decision about drafting him based on his interactions with flight attendants, it’s just one more piece to the puzzle that ultimately leads to a final decision.

This is the face of the franchise we’re talking about.