Let's cycle back to Monday's trade that sent Kellen Winslow to the Seattle Seahawks.
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shipped the tight end to the Pacific Northwest for a conditional pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the move came as no surprise. Bucs coach Greg Schiano made it crystal clear Winslow was no longer a fit on the team's rebuilt roster.
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.
This comes down to what Seattle plans to do with Winslow. With Zach Miller on the roster, Winslow isn't the only tight end with hands, but expecting the KW2 of old to emerge unhindered might be unrealistic.
