Winston is adapting to throwing more checkdown passes to his running backs within coach Bruce Arians' new offense, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "Sometimes checking that ball down is the simple decision," Winston said. "It's about moving the chains. It's about a completion here and a completion there. And that's how you know the game really slows down is when you're able to do that, when it's just second nature."
Winston has a well-earned reputation as a gunslinger, a notion supported by the fact he boasts 163 completions of over 20 yards -- including 23 over 40 -- in his first 56 NFL games. However, he's also thrown 58 interceptions over that span, so a more cautious approach may be just what Winston needs to take the next step in his development. Additionally, Arians' offenses typically include a solid amount of passing-game involvement for the running backs, with David Johnson's 80 receptions in Arizona during the 2016 season the best example of such. While Winston will certainly take his share of downfield shots this season to the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman and O.J. Howard, it's clear he may find himself operating in shorter passing windows by design more often than in past years.