Latest Regarding Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston

Update:

Paula Lavigne of ESPN reports that former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Banks was the third person along with Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston and Eagles CB Ronald Darby at the time the alleged incident involving Winston and an Uber driver occurred in March of 2016.

According to Lavigne, Winston became intoxicated and “unruly,” which prompted his friends to call for an Uber.

Mark Scruggs, the attorney for Banks, says: “What happened after that, they cannot say.”

Scruggs tells ESPN that Darby, Banks and Winston had been together throughout that night until the Uber showed up for Winston. From there, Winston requested to go to a fast-food restaurant at Winston’s request, which is when the alleged groping occurred.

Winston has denied that he was the one who groped the Uber driver and based on the statements provided, implied that it was actually Banks in the front seat.

However, Scruggs says that Banks was not in the front-seat passenger and never got into the Uber with Winston.

“Brandon was never in the car with this victim,” Scruggs said. “They were two different events, two different Uber drivers.”

According to Scruggs, Banks did not speak to the NFL as part of their investigation. They did, however, try to interview Banks, who is in prison for a sexual assault conviction, but he declined to do so without Scruggs present.

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Here’s a collection of notes regarding the news that Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston is facing a three-game suspension for groping an Uber driver.

  • Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that the NFL’s multi-game suspension that is expected to be handed down to Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston in the near future may also include conditions that if not met could extend his suspension beyond a few games.
  • According to Garafolo, Winston’s college teammate Ronald Darby, who came out in support of Winston after the allegations surfaced, was not in the car for the entire length of the trip.
  • Garafolo adds that there was a comprehensive review of electronic communications and they must have found something to support the woman’s claims about Winston.
  • Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times believes the Buccaneers should cut ties with Winston now and move in a new direction altogether.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk mentions that releasing Winston now would cost the team nothing, as his suspension would likely void the guarantees included in his contract for the 2018 season. The Bucs picked up Winston’s fifth-year option worth $20.9 million but that’s guaranteed only for injury and he can be released before it becomes guaranteed.
  • Florio believes the Buccaneers’ decision will ultimately do will be driven in large part by the local reaction to his suspension. If the specific details for why the NFL feels Winston should be suspended become available, Florio says it could provide a starting point for a viable push to pressure the team to move on from him.
  • Florio — in a separate article — suggests that the NFL and Winston may have struck a deal, which is why Winston has accepted the three-game suspension and not exercised his appeal rights. A typical suspension is six games, but with Winston receiving just three, it’s possible that he struck some sort of deal with the league to prevent the case going through the appeals process and dragging on.

We’ll have more regarding Winston as the news is available.

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