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Winslow cheered for being on field |
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Written By: News Reporter
NFLSpot.com
07/29/07 |
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriterBEREA - With a 4-12 season winding down in 2006, Kellen Winslow could have decided to stop playing in pain.
But that thought never crossed his mind, even though the Cleveland Browns' tight end was still feeling the effects of reconstruction of his right knee, which he injured in a May 2005 motorcycle accident.
He practiced sparingly during the season but never missed a game, finishing with 89 catches. That not only ranked ninth in the NFL, and first at his position, but also tied hall of fame tight end Ozzie Newsome's team record for most receptions in a season.
``From the start of the season, it wasn't where I wanted it to be,'' Winslow said of his knee. ``I felt I owed the Cleveland Browns last season. It was very difficult what I went through coming off my injury, but I think I did pretty well.
``This is the game I love to play. This is all I want to do. I love being out there with my team. It's the greatest place to be.''
Winslow proved that Friday when he participated in the Browns' first training camp practice nearly six months after undergoing microfracture surgery. Including arthroscopy and a procedure to clean out a staph infection before last season, the Jan. 30 surgery was the fourth on Winslow's knee since the accident.
Ovation at practice
The team had planned for him to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but he passed his physical Friday. He received an ovation from the crowd of about 2,000 when he took the field.
``After what I've been through, microfracture, that won't get me,'' Winslow said Saturday morning after his second practice.
He did not take part in team drills in the evening session, part of coach Romeo Crennel plan to ``manage'' Winslow.
``We will not practice him in every two-a-day; he'll get a practice off,'' Crennel said. ``It depends on how it feels. If it feels good, we might let him do more the next practice. If it's sore or swells up, we'll cut back on it to try to get him to the season.
``He'd love to be out there. He's a competitor. We do have to save him from himself. We've developed a good relationship over the years, and he'll tell me when things are not quite right.''
Lingering effects
Speaking for the first time since the microfracture surgery, Winslow said his knee is much stronger. He said he thinks about it on the field only after the play.
``It's not as good as it was before the accident,'' he said. ``I can't plant as hard as I want sometimes, but I work around it.
``Knee injuries, especially my knee injury, it's going to take some time to come back.''
Winslow admitted a year ago that not only did he tear his anterior cruciate ligament in the motorcycle accident, but also he fractured his femur, dislocated his kneecap and tore both ``retinaculas,'' which are ligaments that stabilize. But as he played last season, he gave little hint of the pain he was experiencing.
Asked whether he's prepared to deal with that this year, Winslow said: ``I really hope not. But if it does, I'll deal with it as it comes, just like last year. Just take it one day at a time, listen to my knee and be smart about it.
``It always bothers me, but I've got to live with it. I'm healthy.''
Excited about coach
A stronger knee is not the only reason for Winslow's optimism. His former position coach at the University of Miami, Rob Chudzinski, is the Browns' new offensive coordinator.
Chudzinski spent 2004 in Cleveland under coach Butch Davis and worked the past two seasons as tight ends coach in San Diego.
Winslow called Chudzinski ``the best coach in the NFL'' and likes his scheme because it's ``always attack mode.''
``I call it the triangle offense because all the routes are triangles,'' Winslow said. ``The reads, the progressions are good; he's a genius.''
Chudzinski said, ``I haven't been called that too much in my life; I'll take it.''
Chudzinski said he will use his players' strengths.
Asked what Winslow can do, Chudzinski said: ``He's a vertical threat at the tight end position. He can catch underneath so you can use him on drags, crossing routes and deep routes.''
Whether he's used on short or deep routes, Winslow doesn't seem worried about his role.
``I might catch 100, I might catch 50,'' he said. ``But it's going to help the offense.''
Brownies
Quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye split time with the first team... In the morning session, Anderson threw a laser apparently intended for receiver Tim Carter right to safety Brodney Pool.... The morning's highlight was a 45-yard pass by former Kent State quarterback Josh Cribbs to Mike Mason off an end-around from Anderson. Cribbs is now a punt/kick returner and receiver, but he still loves to throw. ``The guy was wide open. It's hard for him to miss that one,'' Crennel said.... Rookie cornerback Eric Wright, who agreed to terms Thursday, arrived in Cleveland late Friday and said he completed his conditioning test between 10 and 11 p.m. He received the same indoctrination Saturday that offensive tackle Joe Thomas got Friday. When the team lined up for a sprint across the field, no one ran but Wright. ``It was real lighthearted, and I got it out of the way,'' Wright said.
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