The Seattle Seahawks made an interesting move this week when they acquired veteran tight end Kellen Winslow. He is hardly the player he once was earlier in his career, but he appears to still have a little something left in the tank. Or at least he thinks he does. And while his talent used to be undeniable, many around the NFL don't think Winslow can be a productive member of a team anymore.
Clearly the Seahawks do not share that opinion, and that has led to many wondering just how head coach Pete Carroll will use Winslow in his offense next season. According to this story from NFL.com, at least one scout and new Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano think Winslow is nothing more than a rotational player at this point.
We have yet to learn how Winslow will be used in Pete Carroll's vertical-power offense, but one league personnel executive, who spoke with Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio, painted a less-than-hopeful picture of the tight end's playing future:
"We talked to the Bucs before the draft and talked about (Winslow) further internally," the source said. "We just didn't think he could be more than a rotational player at this point (in his career) after examining his tape and performance."
During his best days with the Cleveland Browns, Winslow was an unusual pass-catching threat who caused regular headaches for defensive coordinators. Even in Cleveland's often punchless offense, Winslow could hurt you. He was productive in Tampa, catching 77, 66 and 75 passes in three seasons there from 2009 to 2011. Schiano ruled that Winslow was no longer a difference-maker, and at least one scout agrees.
It will be very interesting to see how Winslow operates once practices begin, and all eyes will be on the Seattle coaching staff to see just what they have in store for the veteran tight end.
What do you think the team should do with Winslow next season? For this and more on the Seahawks, make sure you head to Field Gulls and join in on the discussion.
