Winslow’s Knee Might Have Kept Him Aaway
May 18th, 2010
Last month, Joe transcribed the chilling words of offensive coordinator Greg Olson when he talked to Buccaneers.com about what fans can expect from Kellen Winslow in 2010.
Olson raved about Winslow’s talents, although he said Winslow needed to improve his run blocking. However, Olson clearly went out of his way to dampen fans’ hopes that Winslow might put the Bucs on his back and pull in 100+ catches and another new Bucs receiving record for tight ends.
“You gotta be careful with him at this point in his career,” Olson said of Winslow “There is an issue there where you gotta be careful about how much you play Kellen because you want him to be durable throughout the season. …We expect the same kind of season [as in ’09].”
Back then, Joe thought that was a bizarre comment about the Bucs’ top offensive weapon, who was coming off a healthy and big-time productive season. Winslow is still just 26 years old.
Now, it seems rather obvious why Olson hesitated to expect bigger and better things from Winslow in 2010. The colorful PewterReport.com fellows, who once peddled a popular hand-held magazine, are now on the record saying Winslow had his fifth knee surgery recently and that caused him to miss yesterday’s first OTA practice.
There’s no question that Winslow is damaged goods. Mark Dominik knew that when he made him the league’s highest paid tight end. And Winslow often limited his action in practice last year.
Joe’s not sure that really matters.
If Winslow has knee problems, but doesn’t miss games and catches nearly 80 balls a season like he did last year, Joe will take that any day. And then Joe will be left to wonder how good this guy could have been if he had stayed healthy and didn’t play with motorcycles.
May 18th, 2010 at 7:49 am
The damaged knee makes me wonder why Winslow is viewed by the bucs as anything other than the quick fix/win now “fools gold” that they hate. Plus thy gave up a second and a fifth(which is really a fourth cause it was in 2010).
I hope he plays well for many years to come, but isn’t it a major issue whether he can contribute once the build through the draft “plan” hits its stride?
May 18th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Why is it not a quick fix? BECAUSE HE’S 26.
This is the type of injury that will keep him from playing very far into his 30s.
So we still have, you know, five good years with one of the top TEs in the league.
Yeah, I’ll take that.
May 18th, 2010 at 8:27 am
I’ve never understood why players wait until just before any football related activities, OTA, Camp, etc. to have scopes or surgeries. Do it right after the season and get it right. Good grief.
May 18th, 2010 at 8:35 am
bucfanjeff:
Simple: So they don’t have to take part in any football related activities, OTA, Camp, etc.
May 18th, 2010 at 8:37 am
@Matt
Not so sure your medical prognosis is necessarily the case. But, I hope your correct. Personally, I commend Dom for the trade, it just seems incongruent with the current mantra of thinking “long term”.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I just think a lot of people here are taking that long-term thing a little too…long-term.
We signed Derrick Ward, right? And he’s a lot older than K2, right? And he’s a RB, whose careers are generally shorter, right?
The team will absolutely sign guys that they think can contribute for the next five years. Five years in the NFL is an eternity.
May 18th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Signing guys like K2 and Ward was last year’s plan. Those guys wouldn’t have been signed this year. This year’s plan is to build through the draft and not sign free agents. Lets hope Dom’s drafting is better than his free agent signings of last year.
May 18th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I don’t suppose the K-2 trade and Ward signing could have had anything to do with the 2009 salary cap floor, and this years total inactivity could have had anything to do with the elimination of the floor?
Nah, of course not.
Its cause K-2 and Ward fit into the long term dynasty plan and there were not any good trade or FA possibilities this year.
It all fits perfectly.