- That was easily one of the wildest finishes I’ve seen in any game, nevertheless a postseason contest. Four touchdowns in the final four minutes? There’s nothing that beats the NFL playoffs. NOTHING I TELL YOU!

- Gregg Williams is an aggressive defensive play-caller. He has always been an aggressive defensive play-caller and will always be an aggressive defensive play-caller. He’s won a Super Bowl by being aggressive so by no means should he change his spots. That said, the Niners had 67 yards to cover with 40 seconds remaining in the game. Did Williams actually think that sending six defenders and leaving Vernon Davis in one-on-one coverage was the best play-call in that situation? Davis beat Malcolm Jenkins on the play and went 47 yards to the New Orleans’ 20-yard-line. Three plays later Alex Smith drilled a bullet to Davis for the eventual game-winning touchdown. Again, Gregg Williams needs to be aggressive or he’s not Gregg Williams. But you can still be aggressive and not leave the man who had torched you all game in one-on-one coverage while you rush over half your defense. That’s a play-call that may haunt him for the next eight months.

- Back in the day I used to write profiles for the top NFL draft prospects each year. In 2006 I absolutely fell in love with tight end Vernon Davis. I would tell everyone who would listen (which included about four people, including my own mother) that Davis was going to be a monster at the next level. He was the perfect prospect: Built like a tight end but with the speed and athleticism of a wide receiver. I used to clamor about how big of a mismatch he would be either on or off the line. Then the dude stunk for three years and those four people (including my own mother) would constantly mock me. “The perfect prospect huh? Guy looks pretty average.” Davis still hasn’t had the career I expected him to have back in ’06 but he reminded me today of why I was so high on him coming out of Maryland. The Saints couldn’t stop him, especially on the Niners’ game-wining drive. He beat a cornerback in Jenkins on that long completion that put San Francisco in scoring range and then he beat a safety in Roman Harper for the game-winning score. (A play in which Davis took an absolute shot from Harper and still hung on to the ball.) When he’s involved in the offense and playing with confidence, he’s such a weapon in the middle of the field. And now he owns the single-game playoff record for tight end yards, surpassing Kellen Winslow’s mark of 166 yards in that legendary performance against the Dolphins back in 1981.

- After his outstanding performance today (24-for-42, 299 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs), I can’t help but chuckle about all of the Alex Smith critics that have emerged over the years. “He’ll never lead a team to the playoffs!” “He’ll never win a playoff game if he’s lucky enough to get there!” “He’s not a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback!” “He isn’t contributing to his retirement fund!” Smith has been one of the most polarizing quarterbacks over the past five years and finally, after all of those different coordinators and coaches, lack of talent and confidence issues, he won his first postseason game by outperforming Drew Brees. It’s amazing when you think about it. He’ll still have plenty of doubters if he stinks up the joint next week in the NFC Championship Game, and he still has plenty of doubters now, I’m sure. But at least he’ll sleep well tonight. The guy deserves it after the show he put on today.

- Speaking of Smith, that 14-yard designed run he had was a freaking great play call. And the blocks that were executed on that play were outstanding as well. I thought that was going to be one sweet game-winning play-call but who knew that 15 more points were going to be scored?

- It’s amazing to watch Justin Smith play now compared to earlier in his career with Cincinnati. It’s like watching a completely different player. It’s not as if he was bad with the Bengals but now he’s a disruptive force and easily one of the best defensive linemen in the game. He and his ‘Frisco teammates did something that so many teams tried and failed to do this season: Bring the heat against Drew Brees. The Saints’ offense still wound up scoring a ton of points in the end but the scoreboard isn’t a true representation of how well Smith and Co. played today.

- Granted, they scored 32 points and Brees did attempt 63 passes so it’s not like Sean Payton was conservative with his offense. But the Saints don’t play with the same swagger or confidence on the road as they do at home, especially on defense. When they’re inside the Superdome, the Saints are unbeatable and unstoppable. The defense flies to the football, plays with physicality and aggression, and forces turnovers. Today, the New Orleans defense allowed 36 points and nearly 300 passing yards to a team that averaged just 183.1 yards through the air during the regular season. I said it all week: The Saints are just a different team on the road than they are at home.

- Of course, when you turn the ball over five times and spot your opponent a 17-point lead on the road, you’re not going to win most games. I don’t care how explosive the Saints’ offense is: They can’t win if they kill potential scoring drives with turnovers and sloppy play.

- December 25th – mark it down. That’s the day the Bears get their rematch with the Packers and it’s going to be a spectacle to watch. There might not be a team playing with more confidence right now than Chicago, which hasn’t lost since its ugly effort in Detroit on Monday Night Football back in early October. Jay Cutler didn’t light the stat sheet on fire today but he made big plays all day. And his lone mistake (an interception to Antoine Cason), wasn’t a mistake at all because Johnny Knox slipped on the play. Besides, the Bear defense picked off Philip Rivers in the end zone on the next possession, basically nullifying Cason’s interception. With guys like Cutler, Matt Forte and Devin Hester, as well as a physical, unrelenting defense, the Bears look playoff ready…

…whoops! Talk about timing. About a millisecond after writing that paragraph I saw a report that Jay Cutler’s season might be over due to a fractured right throwing thumb. If that’s the case, then the Bears could be finished. Caleb Hanie has had his moments, such as leading Chicago to a touchdown on his first series against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game last year. But as B.J. Raji’s interception in that same game can attest to, Hanie is also very inexperienced. If Cutler is indeed out (he’ll undergo more tests on Monday), then his injury dramatically changes the Bears’ offense (and season, for that matter).

- The Falcons would be foolish not to keep Matt Ryan in the no-huddle from here on out. Atlanta ran its no-huddle almost exclusively today in its 23-17 victory over the Titans and Ryan had is second-highest QB rating of the season (110.9), threw for over 300 yards for only the fourth time all year, and didn’t throw an interception for only the third time in 10 games. While they did have issues inside the red zone (they settled for three field goals and Michael Turner coughed the ball up once to allow Tennessee to get back into the game), the Falcons only punted twice in the victory. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has been hesitant to run the no-huddle on a full-time basis but it’s the offense that Ryan is clearly most comfortable running.

- Jake Locker showed why he was once considered a slam-dunk No. 1 overall draft pick. Matt Hasselbeck has done a fantastic job managing games for Tennessee this year but Locker sparked a punchless offense and nearly brought the Titans back from 20 points down in the second half. He only completed 9-of-19 passes but those nine completions went for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He also picked up a first down with an 11-yard rush on a third-and-long and showed good zip on most of his passes. Mike Munchak already backed Hasselbeck as the starter in his post-game press conference but with Matt Schaub now out for the year in Houston, it might be time for Tennessee to roll the dice with the kid. Locker was fun to watch today.

- I watched Chris Johnson very closely today and from my point of view, there’s nothing wrong with him. He just doesn’t have anywhere to run as Tennessee’s run blocking is abysmal. Atlanta’s run defense is very sound but Johnson was bottled up almost immediately after receiving the hand off.

- Blaine Gabbert threw for 210 yards and didn’t turn the ball over in the Jaguars’ 14-10 loss to the Browns. He also threw a perfectly placed ball that Jason Hill couldn’t haul in with three seconds remaining in the game that could have won it for Jacksonville. But Gabbert’s overthrow to a wide-open (and I mean WIDE-OPEN) Hill in the end zone with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter really cost Jacksonville a huge opportunity to tie the game at 14-14. Those are the types of plays that Gabbert hasn’t been making all season. Now, he’s only a rookie and deserves time to develop. But I firmly believe that Jacksonville screwed up by releasing David Garrard and forcing Gabbert onto the field before he was ready. The kid should be holding a clipboard right now.

- I’m sorry, I know a win is a win and they very well could wind up being tied for first in the NFC East before the night is over (the Giants are currently losing to the Eagles as I type). But that was not a very impressive win by the Cowboys today. The Redskins’ offense has been putrid for over a month and the Cowboys were one 52-yard field goal by Graham Gano away from losing. Jason Witten and Tony Romo made some great plays today and hey, divisional games are usually close. But count me among the people who keep waiting for the ‘Boys to put together that signature win and yet, it still hasn’t come. I picked the Cowboys to win the NFC East this year so I’m not surprised that they’re 6-4. It’s just not a very impressive 6-4 to me.

- Andy Dalton made some big mistakes today, which included throwing three interceptions and being flagged for intentional grounding on the Bengals’ final possession. But it’s clear that he and Cincinnati have a very bright future. This was a team that was without its best offensive playmaker (A.J. Green) and its top cornerback (Leon Hall) and still hung with the Ravens on their home field. On paper, Baltimore should have cruised to victory and it almost did. But thanks to Dalton and the Bengals’ perseverance, they had a chance to at least tie the game in the closing minutes. Assuming Dalton doesn’t go backwards from here, I see no reason why the Bengals won’t continue to challenge the Ravens and the Steelers in the AFC North.

- It was good to see Cam Cameron let it rip today. Sometimes the Ravens’ offense looks like a Ferrari but drives like a Pinto. Joe Flacco took a couple of deep shots, Ray Rice was heavily involved and Torrey Smith (6 receptions, 165 yards, 1 TD) had a breakout performance. Speaking of Smith, if he maintains his confidence week in and week out, he’s going to be a star in this league. That 49-yard catch that he hauled in today was a thing of beauty.

- If I’m a Lions fan I’m ecstatic that my team scored 49 points as Matthew Stafford threw for five touchdowns and Kevin Smith rushed for 140 yards and two scores. But I would be extremely concerned about the number of times they’ve had to stage a big comeback because they’ve dug themselves a huge hole in the first half. Three of the Lions’ seven wins this year (Dallas, Minnesota and Carolina) have come after they’ve fallen behind by 20 points or more and while it’s impressive that they’ve been able to persevere, it would be more impressive if they figured out a way to play four quarters more consistently. Because this is obviously a very dangerous team when they’re firing on all cylinders.

- Cam Newton is extremely fun to watch and he’s making a lot of pundits look very stupid for doubting him (and the Panthers for that matter) back in April. That said, he certainly helped his team lose today. Carolina’s defense turned in a brutal second-half effort against Detroit but Newton’s inaccuracy was a major issue as well. He often missed high to his receivers and wound up throwing four interceptions in the loss. Recklessness simply can’t be a part of his game.

- Kellen Winslow (9 receptions, 132 yards, 1 TD) had a monster game but he cost the Bucs’ twice in their 35-26 loss to the Packers. First he was flagged for an obvious pass interference call in the end zone on a third-and-3 from the Packers’ 4-yard-line, which led to a Tampa Bay field goal instead of a potential touchdown early in the third quarter. Then he dropped a pass on a two-point conversation attempt that would have tied the game at 21-21 early in the fourth. Granted, the Bucs’ defense couldn’t come up with that one big stop in the fourth but they were also trailing by nine points virtually that entire quarter because of Winslow’s mistakes. Still, Tampa certainly gave Green Bay all it could handle. There are no moral victories but the Bucs finally showed some punch on offense (including LeGarrette Blount’s unbelievable touchdown run).

- All of those weapons on offense and the Packers’ first two touchdowns today came on a 1-yard B.J. Raji run and a Tom Crabtree five-yard reception, respectively. As if opposing defenses don’t have enough to worry about when it comes to Green Bay, now they have to try and tackle 337 pounds of B.J. Raji and defend some guy named Tom Crabtree.

- Want to know the biggest reason why the previously 0-7 Dolphins have won three games in a row? Try the fact that they haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 quarters now. Miami’s defense absolutely stifled the Bills today, allowing just 41 rushing yards in a 35-8 rout. They also stuffed Buffalo at the goal line early in the fourth quarter and intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick twice. And who needs Andrew Luck? Matt Moore has thrown six touchdowns in his last three games.

- Somebody stick a fork in the Bills because they’re done. They made believers out of a lot of people earlier in the year but they’ve looked absolutely horrendous the last three weeks. Do you think the front office is regretting signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to that extension? He signed his new deal on October 28, beat the Redskins two days later and hasn’t won since.

- His play is indicative of a rookie quarterback but Christian Ponder is absolutely maddening to watch sometimes. One minute he’s using his athleticism to make a big throw downfield and the next he’s literally throwing the ball directly to a defender (see his interception to Stanford Routt in the fourth quarter today). He did extremely well to lead the Vikings from 20 points down against the Raiders without Adrian Peterson (who left the game early with an injury), but Ponder made some really bad decisions. Again, this is what you expect out of a rookie but he’s liable to make Leslie Frazier and Bill Musgrave insane.

- Some teams don’t have one capable starter at running back and Oakland has two. It must be nice when Darren McFadden goes down with an injury to have Michael Bush step in and take his place. Bush has lifted the Raiders into sole possession of first place in the AFC West the past two weeks. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that the Chargers are absolutely imploding.

- Perhaps the most impressive thing about Jim Harbaugh is not the fact that he has gotten Alex Smith to play well or that the Niners’ defense is one of the best in the league. Albeit, those things are impressive but not nearly as impressive as the focus and discipline that he’s instilled in this San Francisco team. The Niners were a talented squad under Mike Singletary but the problem was that he was completely overmatched as a football tactician. And because he was so overmatched both on and off the field, his team began falling apart at the seams. But under Harbaugh, the Niners have played sound football, don’t beat themselves and not once have they been caught looking ahead. With a Thanksgiving Day matchup with his brother’s Ravens coming up in just four days, Harbaugh and the Niners could have easily overlooked Arizona today. Instead, they nearly shut the Cardinals out. Again, under Harbaugh they’ve been highly impressive.

- Considering how brutal their schedule was in the first half and the amount of injuries they’ve had to suffer through (particularly in the defensive backfield), it’s not surprising to see the Rams sitting with only two wins. That said, that’s a pitiful football team they have in St. Louis and if Billy Devaney doesn’t have a better offseason than the one he did this past year, the Rams will continue to lose. Devaney better find some gems in next year’s draft; I’m talking about finding a couple of guys that can make an impact right away or else both he and Steve Spagnuolo will be out of jobs very soon.

- I just can’t wrap my head around the play of Philip Rivers this year. This can’t be the same guy who almost single-handedly kept the Chargers in the playoff hunt last year without his top two playmakers. It just can’t. The interception he threw at the end of the game to Corey Graham was one of the worst throwaway attempts I’ve ever seen. And this came after Major Wright picked him off earlier in the quarter when San Diego’s defense put the Chargers in great field position with an interception of their own. Brutal. Philip Rivers has been brutal this year.

Quick, name the leading receiver on the Bucs last year. Nope, it wasn’t impressive rookie Mike Williams and for those who said Joey Galloway, you’ve just embarrassed yourself.

It was none other than tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who was one of the many players that helped transform the Bucs from a 3-13 team in 2009 to a 10-6 playoff contender in 2010. Due to the tough of the Super Bowl champion Packers the final two weeks, Tampa Bay missed the postseason but there’s no doubt the Bucs are a team to be reckoned with in the NFC.

Even though he’s concentrating on becoming a father any day now, Kellen took the time to chat with us recently about the Bucs’ resurgence, what he thought the key was to Josh Freeman’s development this past year and what his take is on the lack of progress in the CBA discussions. He also talked about his role in the Bucs’ offense and what he thinks the team needs to get over the hump. As we expected, he didn’t disappoint with his answers.

For more on Kellen, check out his official website, which has a bio, photos and more.

The Scores Report: Hey Kellen, how are you?

Kellen Winslow: Hey, how’s it going, man?

TSR: Real good! How’s your offseason going?

KW: Good. I’m just chilling and having a great time.

TSR: Did you enjoy the Super Bowl?

KW: Yeah, it was real good.

TSR: Did you end up going to any of the parties or the game?

KW: Nah, I don’t go. I don’t go unless we go, you know?

TSR: (Laughs) Makes sense. What did you think of your fellow NFC counterparts, the Packers?

KW: It was a good win for them. I was kind of surprised that the Steelers didn’t show up like I thought they would, you know?

TSR: Yeah, I think a lot of people were surprised, especially considering they’re a veteran-led team.

KW: Right.

TSR: So are you working with a relatively clean bill of health this offseason or are you rehabbing anything?

KW: No, I’m good this offseason. I’ve been feeling okay and I’ve been cycling. I found out that that keeps my knee real strong so I’ve just been doing that.

TSR: What was the key to the Bucs’ one-year turn around? Because you guys had a really young team both years, but in 2010 things seemed to take off and you were able to put together a winning season.

KW: You know what? I just think it had to do with the second year. People are growing. Raheem [Morris]…you know, Raheem is obviously our leader. People are following him, they’re getting used to playing with each other and just going out and executing on game day. That’s all it pretty much is.

TSR: You get to work with him every day so I’m wondering what your take is on Josh Freeman. What did you see in him specifically this year that you didn’t see his rookie year?

KW: Just experience, you know, experience playing. I think he got into the last six games in his first year and that was kind of his rookie experience. He didn’t play his full rookie season so the second year, he was still a rookie in terms of game experience. But he did awesome. He had a couple of games where he didn’t play like he wanted to but who doesn’t? We couldn’t have asked for more from him and he played phenomenal.

TSR: You just wrapped up your seventh season in the NFL. Besides what it takes physically to get ready each year, what do you do in the offseason to mentally prepare yourself for a new season? What does a veteran tight end in the NFL do to get himself ready when he’s already played seven years in the league?

KW: You know, I watch a ton of film. I watch, well, I watch myself but I watch other tight ends as well. I’ll watch [Antonio] Gates, I’ll watch Tony Gonzalez and I’ll watch Jason Witten. I think those are the three main guys I’ll watch just to learn how they block, or how they use their bodies to catch the ball and what moves they do. So yeah, I would say watching a lot of film of tight ends.

TSR: Well you must enjoy playing in the same division as Gonzalez because you get to see him twice a year.

KW: Yeah, especially him because I do see him twice a year and we play the same teams. I probably watch him the most. Myself, I like to read a lot of coverages. I like to know exactly the front they’re in, the coverage behind it, what blitz is coming, so I can envision it and go make the play.

TSR: How do you feel that the tight end position is evolving? Because there still seems to be a mix of guys that can block and guys that can catch, but in your opinion are there more and more guys that can do both nowadays?

KW: Yeah, there’s still a mix of tight ends though. You got a guy like Gates who is a very good receiving tight end. Tony, he does his fair share of blocking but he’s also a very good receiving tight end. A guy like Witten really has no weakness. I wouldn’t pick my routes from him as I would Gates or Tony Gonzalez, but Witten can do it all. But there are many different tight ends that you can learn from. You know, Zach Miller is a great, solid blocking tight end and a receiving tight end. So I think it’s all about what you want and what the teams need out of the position. There are tight ends everywhere now, you know?

TSR: Right, and that’s why I was asking. You take a team like the Patriots who nabbed two tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in the draft last year and used them both. I mean, once Bill Belichick traded Randy Moss he played to his strengths, which was at tight end. So I was just wondering if you saw the position evolving.

KW: Yeah, I do. I think it’s more of a receiving position nowadays and you can have two now. I mean, I think you could have two on every team. I do, I think the position and the game is evolving where you can have two good ones on every team.

TSR: The Bucs competed for a division title last year but came up just short. What’s the one thing that will get you guys over the hump?

KW: Honestly, I think the thing that will get us over the hump is that we need a little more pass rush – a little more pressure on the quarterback. Our defensive backfield is pretty good, our linebacker corps is pretty good, but I just think we’re a little young on the defensive line. But I would say that’s about it, man. We’re pretty loaded besides that.

TSR: I like to ask veteran players this question because they can usually spot what young players have what it takes to become future stars. So give me two players on either side of the ball that could become future stars for the Bucs. Everyone has a good idea about Mike Williams, but who else?

KW: Arrelious Benn. He’s going to be another good player. You know, he was a rookie last year but he made some plays for us late in the season. I think he’s going to be a great player.

TSR: Good call. He was real good at Illinois and I think if he had more consistent quarterback play when he was there he would have been a first rounder.

KW: Yeah, definitely. And the other one…Kareem Huggins. He’s been injured the last two years, but he’s a great player. He just needs to stay healthy and he’s going to be a great one.

TSR: You’ve led the Bucs in receptions the last two years but do you see your role expanding in the offense next year or do you think it’ll stay steady?

KW: No, I need to be more involved in the offense. You know, it’s something I’ve been patient with but my goal every year is to catch 100 balls and get 1,000 yards, or at least one or the other. It just hasn’t happened yet. I had 66 this year and 700 yards or something like that and it’s just not what I’m used to. You know, obviously I want the ball more and it’s just about timing between Freeman and I, and just getting the opportunities to go make plays. I can’t wait [for next season].

TSR: I’d be remised if I didn’t ask you about the CBA discussions and what your take is on that situation. Do you think they’ll be a season next year? As a fan I’m worried, so I’m sure as a player you must be as well.

KW: Yeah. Personally, I think a lockout is going to happen but I don’t think they’ll let it get to the season. It would be awful if there were no football. Guys would have to get second jobs and join the real world. (Laughs)

TSR: Definitely. And it ain’t pretty in the real world, let me tell you.

KW: (Laughs)

TSR: Tell me about your website and what’s new with that.

KW: Not much new yet, but I encourage people to check out my bio and photos. I plan on supporting the Plant City Eagles again and making sure they have the opportunity to play. [Editor’s Note: Kellen donated time and money last May to help the Eagles when helmets, jerseys and shoulder pads were stolen from a storage building/concession stand. You can read about the story here.]

TSR: That’s great.

KW: Yeah. Oh, we have a baby coming, too.

TSR: Wow, congratulations!

KW: Thank you, thank you, man. Yeah, so I’ve just trying to concentrate on that because she’s due any day now.

TSR: So you know it’s a girl?

KW: No, it’s a boy.

TSR: Oh, your wife is due any day now. Now it makes sense…

KW: Yeah, my wife is due.

TSR: That’s very exciting news. So when is he due?

KW: The due date is February 27.

TSR: That’s one day before my girlfriend’s birthday. My birthday is at the end of March so if you want to hold out…

KW: (Laughs) Man, if we wait that long something’s up!

TSR: (Laughs) No, yeah – I don’t blame you! Well Kellen, it was a pleasure to talk to you and I wish you nothing but the best with the new baby and, hopefully, a new season.

KW: Thank you, man.

TSR: Take care.

KW: You too, bye.

All 2010 Fantasy Football Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

The tight end position is often overlooked in fantasy football, but in leagues that award a point per reception, a stud TE can be quite valuable indeed. Over the past decade or so, NFL offensive coordinators have increasingly built game plans around their talented tight ends. It used to be that the position was meant to block in the running game and catch the occasional pass or two. But, more and more, the tight end has become a spot for a big playmaker with soft hands who can block a little.

The position isn’t nearly as deep as QB, but since many fantasy owners don’t consider taking a tight end until the fourth or fifth round, value is often found in the middle rounds. A vast majority of championship teams will get at least average production from the position, so no matter your strategy, you have to find a decent TE somewhere in your draft if you hope to be hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.

Here are a few TEs I’ll be targeting this season along with the round in which each player becomes a good value.

Antonio Gates in the 4th
With Vincent Jackson prepared for a long holdout, Gates will get a ton of targets from Phillip Rivers. It appears that his foot injury is behind him, so he’s in line for another Top 4 year. Gates is as consistent as they come.

Dallas Clark in the 5th
Clark was a stud last season, but with Anthony Gonzalez back and the continued development of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, one wonders if he can post 100 catches again. His previous high was 77, so the gut says ‘no.’ Still, even if he takes a 20% cut in production, that still would have been good enough to be TE3 in ’09.

Jason Witten, Vernon Davis or Jermichael Finley in the 5th/6th
All three of these guys are capable of putting up big numbers this season. Witten is Mr. Steady, Davis has one great year under his belt and Finley is Mr. Upside. Witten has averaged 90-1042-4.3 over the last three seasons and the Cowboys have said that they want to get him more involved in the red zone. Davis finished just behind Gates as last season’s TE3, and should have another fine year as everything has stayed pretty much the same in San Francisco. Finley showed his worth in Week 4 against the Vikings when he posted 6-128-1 and finished the year on an eight-game tear in which he averaged 5.5-72-0.5, which are TE2-type numbers. The Packers lack a big body at WR around the goal line, so look for Finley to get his fair share of jump balls inside the 5-yard line.

Tony Gonzalez or Brent Celek in the 6th/7th
Gonzo is the consummate pro and has finished in the Top 5 in 10 of the last 11 seasons. He’s 34, but he’s still doing all (or at least most) of the things he was doing at 28. Even though the projections have him finishing TE6 or TE7, it’s more likely that someone projected to finish ahead of him has a disappointing year and Gonzo sneaks into the Top 5 yet again.

As for Celek, some might downgrade him because Donovan McNabb is gone, but in the two weeks where Kevin Kolb got a lot of work (Weeks 2 & 3), Celek caught 16 passes for 208 yards and a TD. Granted, in Week 2 the Eagles were throwing from behind against the Saints, and Week 3 was against a very suspect Chiefs defense, but still — Kolb feels comfortable with Celek. How you feel about the QB is how you feel about the TE. If Kolb has a good or great season, Celek will likely finish in the Top 6 or 7 again.

Kellen Winslow or Visanthe Shiancoe in the 9th
The bottom line is that if Winslow stays healthy, he’s going to finish in the Top 10. Unfortunately, that’s a big IF, and Winslow is already being held out of practice because of soreness in his knee after his sixth — yes, his sixth — knee surgery. Still, in the 9th, Winslow is a good value. Just be sure to draft his backup relatively quickly.

Shiancoe’s value depends heavily on the pending return of Mr. Brett Favre. He posted Top 5 numbers over the second half of the season and Favre loves to look for his TE in the red zone.

Zach Miller in the 9th/10th
Jason Campbell is in as the starter in Oakland, which means that for the first time, Miller will have a capable QB throwing the ball. Campbell loved throwing it to Chris Cooley in Washington, so Miller projects to have a nice year. He caught 37 passes over his final six games and with a solid QB under center, he should be able to build off of that success.

Kevin Boss in the 12th
From Weeks 8-16, Boss averaged 3.5-46-0.6, which are TE7-type numbers. He’s not terribly consistent, but he’s entering his fourth season and has become one of Eli Manning’s favorite targets around the goal line. Boss is better suited to be a backup, but a Top 10 finish is not out of the question if he gets consistent targets week to week.

Steering clear of… Chris Cooley. I like him, but with Fred Davis battling for snaps and a new QB in town, there’s not enough stability to justify his 7th round ADP… Owen Daniels. He just had a setback with his knee, so if he’s not back and looking good in the next couple of the weeks, I’ll let someone else take the risk… Heath Miller. I like him in a backup role, maybe in the 12th round, but with Ben Roethlisberger suspended for the first six games, I wonder how effective the Steeler passing game will be with Byron Leftwich, who is not known for passing to his TE… Greg Olsen. He has great upside, and who knows, maybe Mike Martz will finally take advantage of his tight end. But there are too many other options in more stable situations.

Here are our official TE rankings, by tier:

1. Antonio Gates
2. Dallas Clark

3. Jason Witten
4. Vernon Davis
5. Jermichael Finley
6. Tony Gonzalez
7. Brent Celek

8. Kellen Winslow
9. Visanthe Shiancoe
10. Zach Miller
11. Chris Cooley
12. John Carlson

13. Greg Olsen
14. Heath Miller
15. Owen Daniels
16. Jeremy Shockey

17. Kevin Boss
18. Dustin Keller
19. Todd Heap
20. Tony Scheffler

According to the Pewter Report, Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow was held out of the start of OTAs Monday after undergoing his fifth knee surgery in the last six years.

The report states that the knee surgery was a minor arthroscopic procedure, or a “clean up” of the knee. That said, this was Winslow has already had two knee operations since undergoing microfracture surgery in 2007. At 26 he may be able to recover without much problem, but how long will he be able to play after having all these surgeries? The body obviously breaks down with age, so this isn’t a good sign for the tight end’s long-term health.

The Bucs need a healthy Winslow heading into the season so young quarterback Josh Freeman has a primary weapon he can use in the middle of the field. If not, the team will have to count on rookie Arrelious Benn or a hodgepodge group of receivers in Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall, Mario Urrutia, Reggie Brown and Mark Bradley.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/05/18/winslow-undergoes-fifth-knee-surgery/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/04/06/bucs-give-winslow-new-six-year-deal/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/04/06/bucs-give-winslow-new-six-year-deal/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:00:56 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=16307 The Bucs have agreed to terms with newly acquired tight end Kellen Winslow on a new six-year contract.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Winslow to a new six-year contract.

Winslow had two years remaining on his contract, which was scheduled to pay him base salaries of $4.5 million and $4.75 million in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

According to ProFootballTalk.com, Winslow’s deal is worth $36.1 million and could be worth as much as $42.1 million if incentive clauses are reached. Winslow is due base salaries of $5.17 million and $6.725 million in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2011, Winslow will reportedly earn $8.29 million in base salary.

ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas is reporting that $20.1 million of Winslow’s new contract is guaranteed.

The Bucs landed Winslow in a trade that sent their 2009 second-round pick and 2010 fifth-round selection to Cleveland on Feb. 27.

Winslow wanted a new deal from Cleveland the past two years and now gets one from Tampa. Considering all of his injury concerns, the contract is a bit of a risk but the Bucs can likely get out of it in a couple years if Winslow’s bad knee starts acting up again. It’ll be interesting whether or not he can cash in on all of his potential or if he’ll continue to have injury problems the rest of his career.

This is a bold move by Tampa. Signing him to a new contract won’t be an issue because the Bucs have loads of cap space (the most in the NFL, in fact), but their quarterback situation is still unsettled and the bigger problem is that Winslow can’t stay healthy. He is also a head case that has the ability to disrupt a locker room, came down with a case of the dropsies last year and if he feels that he’s not getting the ball enough, there’s no shortage of bitching.

Still, Winslow is a talented player and at 25, he has a lot of football ahead of him if he can stay healthy. Tight end was also a major need for the Bucs and acquiring Winslow should only help Antonio Bryant on the outside. And hey, there’s no doubt Tampa got a solider! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

As for the Browns, this was a good move. Winslow had already expressed his desire to leave Cleveland and given his health concerns, his trade value was sure to diminish the longer the Browns hung onto him. Cleveland was also in major need of draft picks after former GM Phil Savage handed them out like gentlemen’s club fliers on the Vegas strip last offseason.

The Browns traded up in the 2008 draft to select former Missouri tight end Martin Rucker in the fourth round, but he has knee issues and couldn’t pass Darnell Dinkins on the depth chart last season. In other words, expect the Browns to address the position this offseason. The best available free agent would be L.J. Smith (Eagles), who is also rumored to be on the Falcons’ radar.