Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota may not throw at NFL Scouting Combine

Jameis Winston doesn't know whether he'll throw the ball at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to USA Today Sports. Winston has been working out with George Whitfield Jr., who told USA Today that Winston is "prepared to do it" but doesn't know whether he will or not.

This echoes Marcus Mariota's comments a few weeks ago, when he said that he may not throw at the scouting combine either. Mariota missed the Senior Bowl with a sprained AC joint, and while he should be largely recovered from that injury, he may take the combine off anyway.

Expect to see pundits complain about the quarterbacks that don't throw at the combine, even though that is by far the least important part of the entire event. The scouting combine is there to test players' athleticism in a completely equal environment, to put them through thorough medical evaluations and to interview them. The positional drills look nice, but they really won't show you all that much you haven't already seen on film.

No, not even the throwing drills. With no pass rush and no coverage, outside of a game situation, these drills really don't give you all that much more information than actually watching how these players functioned in games.

I'm sure scouts would like to see Winston and Mariota throw at the combine. I'm also sure they'd like to observe them for 80 hours a week while they work on their dropbacks. That won't stop them from anonymously whining about players' refusal to bow to their wishes, but it won't matter. Bucs executives will have plenty of opportunity to put both players through all the tests they need to put them through, most notably at the private workouts they'll hold with both players -- probably at One Buc Place.