Kellen Winslow Trade

Kellen Winslow II joined the Cleveland Browns fresh out of the University Of Miami as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Butch Davis, then Cleveland Browns head coach had also recruited Winslow to the university initially.

Kellen is a strong tight end who gained his reputation when he blew out two University Of Tennessee Volunteers defensive ends where Miami lost to Tennessee in the 2003 college football season. In a post game interview, Winslow was asked about his taunts over one of the injured players, Corey Campbell.

Winslow’s answer?

"Yeah, I don't give a hell. It's about this ‘U‘, man. I don't give a flyin' you-know-what about a Vol. I don't give a damn! He would do the same thing to me. “It's war. They don't give a freakin' you-know-what about you. They will kill you. They're out there to kill you. So I'm 'a kill 'em. You write that in the paper. You write that. You make money off that. No, man, I'm pissed. All y'all take this down. I'm pissed, man. We don't care about nobody except this U. We don't. If I didn't hurt him, he'd hurt me. They were gunnin' for my legs. I'm 'a come right back at 'em. I'm a fuckin' soldier!"

Kellen Winslow was expected to give the Cleveland Browns a leg-up as a tight end. However, two games into his rookie season, Kellen suffered an injury to his right fibula. Injured, Winslow spent the rest of the season on the bench.

Winslow made his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens on September 12th, in the 2005 season. His time on the field would be short-lived however, when he hit a curb at 35 mph while riding his Suzuki motorcycle in the parking lot of a community college in Westlake, Ohio.

Winslow was thrown from his bike and received an injury to his right knee, placing him on a non-football injury list for the 2005 season. Kellen came back in the 2006 playing season saying he was 90 percent healed, further indicating his 90 percent was better than any other NFL tight end.

Winslow finished the year with 89 receptions—tying with the all-time record of Ozzie Newsome for receptions in a season. On December 18th, Winslow was named ’first alternative’ tight-end for the 2008 Pro Bowl.

On February 4th, Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers dropped out due to injuries, placing Winslow in the game. In the 2008 season, Winslow suffered a staph infection, criticizing General Manager, Phil Savage, about not dealing with the problem, trying to hide his injury.

Over the last few years, Browns players had seven incidents with staph infections. Winslow has recently found himself drafted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a second round pick in the 2009 season, and a fifth round pick in 2010. The Buccaneers had a much better 9-7 season in 2008 when compared to the Cleveland Browns.

With the loss of tight-end Kellen Winslow, the Browns face the uncertainty of finding a player to replace him. Most likely the Browns will draft a new rookie tight end, or will seek the talents of a promising free agent.

Its obvious that the change will have an effect on quarterback Brady Quinn as he and the chosen tight-end will need to develop a player chemistry between the two. There are questions why the trade was made, but with the Browns dismal season, the front office is forced to shake things up in trying to bring the team back from its atrophy in its dismal ‘4-12’ 2008 season.

As to Brady Quinn, even without the help of Winslow, he’ll do fine in the 2009 season ahead. Quinn is a proven winner and the Browns have him locked-up. Whether in high school or Notre Dame college football, he has been a consistent winner. The Browns could ill afford to lose him.

The bigger question is how successful the Cleveland Browns front office does in the picking of Brady Quinn’s teammates. Browns owner, Randy Learner has a lot to worry about in the sale of tickets for the 2009 season. With a down economy, fans are less likely to buy season tickets for a dismal football team.

Cleveland Browns pick of Romeo Crennel proved to be a dud for all the seasons he was head coach for the team. While Crennel proved himself in three super bowls as a defense coordinator for the New England Patriots, he left a lot to be desired as a head coach.

But Crennel’s performance is not the only reason the team had such a terrible season, the players themselves seemed unmotivated in their performance.

Incoming coach Eric Mangini has his work cut out for him as he attempts to reshape the Browns into a winning team. If the Browns don’t show enough promise in the 2009 season, look for more Browns fans to convert their allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

- Andrew Boggs, MALL727.net -