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08-12-2004, 04:51 PM
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Let It Rock
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Soldja 'rusty' in first pro pratice
Article from: RecordPub.com
BROWNS Winslow ready for some football Rookie rusty in first pro practice
Allen Moff
<HR align=left width="25%" color=#000000 noShade SIZE=1> By David Carducci
Record-Courier staff writer
BEREA - Sitting at home and watching former college teammate Sean Taylor dominate his first NFL preseason game of Monday Night Football proved too much for Kellen Winslow to take.
The Cleveland Browns first-round pick suddenly realized just what he was missing and decided it was time to end a holdout that had entered its second week.
“That Monday night game really got to me,” said Winslow. “It got to my father also. We just said let’s get it done.”
And once that decision was made, it didn’t take long for the Browns and Winslow’s camp to bridge a gap that once seemed as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Late Tuesday night, Winslow ended a 12-day holdout by agreeing to a six-year deal with a base salary of $29 million and performance incentives that could make the total package worth between $40-41 million. The key to the agreement was a $16.5 million signing bonus.
The Browns saved face in keeping the potential total value of the deal near the $40 million total of the offer Winslow turned down July 31. According to several league sources, Winslow’s agent Kevin Poston had been seeking an astronomical contract worth as much as $50 million.
In the July 31 offer the Browns called their “best,” Winslow would have been paid a $13 million signing bonus. It was essentially the same contract Taylor signed with the Washington Redskins, who selected the former University of Miami safety one pick ahead of Winslow at No. 5 overall.
In holding out, Winslow managed to coax an additional $3.5 million from the Browns in up-front money.
“I feel great,” Winslow said. “Like I won the lottery.
“It wasn’t a bad deal Sean signed, but he could have gotten a lot better (deal). They offered me that deal with the sixth pick, but it wasn’t fair market value. I was the sixth pick, but I was in an elite group.”
Winslow is now at the top of another elite group as the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. Without playing a single game, Winslow is set to make more than perennial Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, who signed a $31 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus with Kansas City in 2002.
In his first day of training camp, Winslow proved he has a long way to go <TABLE width=320 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!--J CARTER 300x250 Instory CODE for recordpub.com --><SCRIPT ******************** src="http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=16310&m=6&tp=8&d=j&t=s"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT ********************><!--var d=new Date();var r=(d.getTime()%8673806982)+Math.random();var uu=escape('fastclick.com');var wh='" width="300" height="250" ';var host='.casalemedia.com/';var dc=document;var fr='marginwidth="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">';dc.write('<ifr'+'ame src="http://as'+host+'s?s=53315&u='+uu+'&f=3&id='+r+wh+fr);dc. write('</ifr'+'ame>');//--></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><iframe src="http://as.casalemedia.com/s?s=53315&u=http://fastclick.com&f=3&id=1"width="300" height="250" marginwidth="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>    http://media.fastclick.net/w/get.media?sid=16310&m=6&tp=8&d=s&c=1</NOSCRIPT><!-- J CARTER 300x250 Instory CODE for recordpub.com --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>before he is ready to play like Gonzalez.
“I am very far behind,” Winslow admitted. “My head is spinning. I have a lot to learn.”
After taking the field to fan chants of “Winslow,” the 6-foot-4, 250-pound rookie spent most of Wednesday’s morning practice running drills with the Browns’ third team and listening to advice from veteran tight ends Aaron Shea and Steve Heiden.
“You could see he was a little rusty, but he still looked great,” said Shea. “He runs routes like a receiver, but he has a tight end’s body. I’m sure it will take him a few days to get into things. He’ll make some rookie mistakes, but he is a great player and we are happy to have him in here. We talked before practice, and I told him I’m here for him if he needs any help.”
Prior to Wednesday, the only contact Winslow had with his new Browns teammates was with quarterback Jeff Garcia, who publicly called on Winslow to think about the team first and end his holdout last week.
“He said to me when he came in, ‘are you ready to get after it?’” Garcia said. “I said, ‘I’ve been ready. Are you ready? Let’s do this.’”
Winslow, who earned a reputation for having a volatile personality during his college career in Miami, said he was happy Garcia went public in urging him to report to camp.
“I’m glad he did that because obviously he is a leader and he wants to win,” said Winslow. “But I felt the same way. I wanted to be here, but I just had to get the fair deal. Now I’m here.”
In the next few days, Browns coach Butch Davis will watch Winslow closely to see just how far behind he really is. Even with just a few days of practice, Winslow could make his pro debut Saturday night when the Browns open their preseason schedule in Tennessee.
“A lot of it is going to be predicated on him,” said Davis. “Physically, what kind of condition is he in? How much retention did he have (from summer mini-camps)? How much can he learn between now and Saturday?
“As the week unfolds, we’ll have a chance to evaluate him. Then we’ll get a better idea as to exactly whether or not he can go against Tennessee, or if he does go, if there will be some limitations.”
Last edited by FCollinsBuckeye; 08-12-2004 at 04:53 PM.
Reason: sorry 'bout the ads - I couldn't delete them
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08-12-2004, 06:22 PM
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Senior
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Quote:
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They offered me that deal with the sixth pick, but it wasn’t fair market value. I was the sixth pick, but I was in an elite group.”
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Sounds like a good team player. I'm I the only one who wished that he held out for the whole year? He had better do some pretty amazing stuff as a brown. |
08-12-2004, 06:29 PM
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Semper Fi!
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I feel bad for you guys that are browns fans. This guy was the biggest crackhead @ Miami and dissed OSU. I'm glad I dont' have to root for him.
If I was a brownies fan, I would root for the team and root for a career ending injury to him. punk. |
08-12-2004, 06:36 PM
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Hall of Fame
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Originally Posted by BuckStocksHere
root for a career ending injury to him.
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Thats a bit harsh, besides I know you don't mean that because if that happens you'll have to hear him talk about 'what he could have been' for the rest of your life lol. |
08-12-2004, 07:46 PM
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Senior
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Originally Posted by BuckWrestler141
Thats a bit harsh, besides I know you don't mean that because if that happens you'll have to hear him talk about 'what he could have been' for the rest of your life lol.
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Wow, so true, ok I'm just going to root for him to fail. |
08-12-2004, 08:04 PM
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Haole in da hills
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Actually, I'd like to see someone in camp hit him so frickin' hard that he instantaneously turns into a polite, well-mannered pro player whose only intent is to help his team. Could you imagine him putting the team first? Now, that's a pipe dream...
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08-12-2004, 08:05 PM
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Capo Regime
Administrator
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by MililaniBuckeye
Actually, I'd like to see someone in camp hit him so frickin' hard that he instantaneously turns into a polite, well-mannered pro player whose only intent is to help his team. Could you imagine him putting the team first? Now, that's a pipe dream...
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I'd settle for a camp fight which leads to major dental work
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Oderint dum metuant.
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