Jameis Winston undecided about throwing during NFL combine

Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is undecided about throwing during the NFL scouting combine on Saturday, according to his quarterback coach.

"It's a game-time decision," George Whitfield Jr. told USA Today. "He's a very big believer in himself, so it'll be interesting. He's prepared to do it. Whether he goes in and does it will probably be determined a couple of days from now.

"At this time, he hasn't made a decision."

Winston made headlines this weekend after a picture of him with a rather large belly surfaced and made the rounds on social media. Whitfield told USA Today the picture was from five weeks ago and that Winston had lost 12-15 pounds since. He said teams shouldn’t be worried that Winston won’t be in shape for the combine.

Jameis looks out of shape. http://ift.tt/1FcshcH

— Captain Obvious (@HashtagObvious) February 14, 2015

"He's always had a thing about pushing his stomach out," Whitfield said. "I hadn't seen the pic until Saturday. You smile about it because people got it and they jumped on it. When I saw him later, Jameis laughed and said, 'I'm going to be out in front of the world in a couple of days anyway.'"

Winston’s work on the field at the combine likely will take a backseat to the questions he’ll have to answer off it. NFL teams will pepper Winston about rape allegations that followed him throughout college as well as several other off-filed incidents, including stealing crab legs from a grocery store and shouting obscenities in the Florida State student union. Both situations earned Winston a suspension.

Many analysts believe Winston will be the top player taken in the draft. If he doesn’t throw at the combine — fellow top quarterback Marcus Mariota won’t throw because of injury — he’ll fall in line with a long list of quarterbacks that opted to throw in a more controlled environment during their school or private pro days where they could throw to their own receivers.

Still, Winston’s on-field acumen has never really been in doubt. It’s a question of whether a team such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which have the first pick, feel comfortable making Winston, and his troubled past, the face of their franchise.

For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

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