Kellen Winslow

Still just 30 years old, Winslow will once again look to revive his once-promising career - this time with the Jets. He'll have a chance to earn playing time given the lack of talent at the position, but injuries have always been an issue for him, so it remains to be seen whether he'll make a significant impact. The former Miami (FL) star is five years removed from an 1,100-yard season and caught just one pass for 12 yards last year as a Patriot.

Last season was a downward spiral for the Buccaneers, who took a big step backward in the core development of their skilled players. Winslow’s 763 receiving yards were a decent number, and his 75 receptions work for PPR leagues, but he only found the end zone a career-low twice. But the lack of scores spoke more to the ineptitude of the offense rather than Winslow’s ability. Winslow was traded to Seattle in May, and while that offense is hardly a juggernaut, it can’t be worse than last year’s environment, and it could be a good deal better, especially if Matt Flynn delivers on the promising play he displayed as a backup in Green Bay. Winslow is just an average blocker but easily gets off jams at the line and has improved his hands and route running over the years. He should see his share of targets in Seattle, as both starting receivers, Sidney Rice and Mike Williams, are attempting to return from serious injuries, and fellow tight end Zach Miller wasn’t used much last year.

Winslow played 16 games for the second consecutive season while battling a gimpy knee much of last year. The troublesome knee and the emergence of rookie wideout Mike Williams (127 targets) depressed Winslow's numbers a bit, as did an improved Tampa Bay running game (31 fewer passing plays, 28 more rushing plays). As a result, Winslow received 28 fewer targets, which led to a loss of 11 receptions and 154 yards from the previous season. Josh Freeman hit him for five touchdowns, the same number for the second year in a row, but it wasn't until the second half of the season that Winslow and the Buccaneers heated up (18 points per game vs. 23 points per game). Winslow received nine of his 12 red-zone targets and five of six targets inside the 10 in the final eight games of the season, scoring all of his touchdowns in that span as well. The Bucs drafted blocking tight end Luke Stocker in April, which might free Winslow for more route running. Even if Winslow doesn't get back to the 126 targets he had two years ago, an improving offense with the strong-armed Freeman should continue to work in his favor, especially if it doesn't take half the season to hit its stride again.

Winslow had a productive first year for the Buccaneers, especially considering Tampa Bay’s offensive turmoil caused by a fluctuating quarterback situation and the firing of the offensive coordinator two weeks before the season opener. Winslow led the team with 77 receptions for 884 yards and five touchdowns, working with three quarterbacks — Byron Leftwich, Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman.

While Winslow’s targets became more consistent when Freeman grabbed the starting job in Week 9 (7.1 TPG without Freeman, 8.4 with him), Winslow didn’t see increased work in the red zone. He only had eight red-zone targets all year, four with Freeman, and he didn’t score a touchdown after Week 9. Freeman, though, targeted Winslow at least eight times in seven of the nine games he started, and Winslow once again will play a prominent role in the offense — the only non-rookie addition to the receiving corps after Antonio Bryant’s free-agent defection was the mediocre Reggie Brown — suggesting Winslow could match last year’s 126 targets (fourth among TE). Only 26, the physical and extremely athletic tight end has the upside to improve last season’s numbers, and this year he enters the season with stability at quarterback — the strong-armed Freeman is the undisputed starter — and on the coaching staff.

Winslow opens 2009 playing for someone other than the Browns for the first time in his career. The Buccaneers locked up the physical tight end with a six-year, $36.1 million contract, making him the league’s highest paid tight end. The contract is something of a gamble considering his injury-checkered past. Winslow battled through a high-ankle sprain in 2008, which limited him to 10 games. He caught only 52.4 percent (worst among the 38 tight ends with at least 30 targets) of passes thrown his way, accounting for a paltry 5.22 yards-per-target average. This was not completely Winslow’s fault; erratic quarterback play didn’t help him with this stat. Heading into the season it’s unclear who will be throwing the ball Winslow’s way. A three-way competition between Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich and rookie Josh Freeman will determine that. Winslow’s numbers will be helped if newcomer Derrick Ward gets the running game going, and Antonio Bryant continues to stretch opposing defenses. Expect Winslow to see an increase in targets as the passing game cannot be worse than it was in Cleveland a year ago, and after Bryant there isn’t much competition for targets in Tampa Bay.

The Browns rely on Winslow more than any team relies on its tight end. Cleveland's tight ends were second in the league last year, catching 31 percent of the team's receptions. At 6-5, 250 and with excellent speed for a big man, Winslow is one of the most athletic and physical receivers of any kind in the league. A healthy Winslow is tied with Tony Gonzalez with 5.3 receptions per game the last three seasons. The big concern is that Winslow is coming off his fourth knee surgery, though Winslow has managed to be highly productive while playing through knee problems throughout his career. Additionally, he hired a new agent (Drew Rosenhaus) and would like a new contract. Barring an unlikely holdout (he skipped voluntary workouts, but plans to attend the team's June minicamp), Winslow should again be one of the top tight ends in the league.

We finally got to see Winslow play a full season, and he produced more than expected. He was second at the position behind Antonio Gates with 119 targets and led all tight ends with 89 receptions. And the Browns were far and away the team most utilizing the tight end, with 39.9 percent of receiving yards and 35.0 percent of receptions accounted for by the position. The one caveat is Winslow’s offseason knee surgery, so keep an eye on that. The club says he’ll be ready for training camp. If so, he deserves to be one of the top picks at the position.

Winslow’s undergone four surgeries since Sept. 19, 2004, including two on the broken fibula he suffered in a game against the Cowboys that day, and an operation to repair an ACL he tore in a motorcycle accident last spring. Winslow was running and cutting in spring workouts and at press time was likely to be cleared to participate in the team’s June minicamp. If healthy, Winslow has as much athleticism as anyone at the position not named Vernon Davis, though how quickly he’ll be integrated into Cleveland’s offense and whether that offense can generate regular opportunities are open questions.

The tight end is out for the entire season, having torn his right knee in a May 2005 motorcycle accident. Aaron Shea and Steve Heiden will take over the tight end responsibilities again, just as they did in 2004 when Winslow missed nearly the entire year with a broken leg.

If a team trades up one draft spot to grab a tight end, it suggests that they intend to make him a featured part of the offense sooner rather than later. A lot will be different on the offensive side of the ball in Cleveland with Jeff Garcia at quarterback, so last season’s team stats probably aren’t particularly relevant. Winslow has all the tools – size, speed and good hands – to succeed at the position right away, but it often takes rookie tight ends a couple of seasons before they catch on, so temper your expectations.