Winslow ready for fresh start (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 16:26:19 PDT)
RENTON, Wash. (AP) Kellen Winslow is ready to prove he still has something left for the Seattle Seahawks.

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft (Shutdown Corner)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 16:23:15 PDT)
With the draft over and all wrapped up, we thought it would be a good idea to get back on the phone with our buddy Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's "NFL Matchup," and talk about the NFL by division. Who did themselves the most favors in the draft, and who came up short when addressing their roster deficits? We started off with the NFC West two weeks ago, and then jumped to the hyper-competitive AFC North last week . Now, it's time to turn our attention to the NFC South. Appropriate, given Greg's recent post on the NFL Films Blog about division quarterbacks Matt Ryan , Cam Newton , and Josh Freeman . With that in mind, we asked Greg what he thought the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers did to bolster their teams. The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft Related: [Cosell on  quarterbacks ,  running backs/wide receivers ,  tight ends/offensive line ,  OLB/DE/DT stars , the ILB/DB class , and overall draft review ] On Atlanta Falcons second-round G/C Peter Konz: "I looked at him more as a athlete than as a strong, physical player. Not that he was a weakling -- I thought he had a nice combination of movement and strength -- but I certainly wouldn't call him a road-grader. But in tandem with his active feet, he was effective. He is an efficient player -- very assignment-disciplined. Do I think he could fit right in? Yes I could, and I did make a note that I thought he could play either guard or center. On Carolina Panthers first-round linebacker Luke Kuechly: "I absolutely loved him, and the more I watched him, the more I loved him. I thought he played with his eyes as well as any linebacker I've ever evaluated. He beat blocks with play recognition. Now, the question is, will he do that in the NFL? I think he probably will, because I'm sure that comes from film study, and I don't think he'll be a slacker al lot a sudden. I thought he was the best linebacker in this draft without question, I think he's far more athletic than he's given credit for -- as I watched each game, I was actually more and more impressed with his athleticism." The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft On New Orleans Saints fourth-round receiver Nick Toon:

Vegas has spoken, NFL season win totals are live (National Football Post)
(Thu, 24 May 2012 13:06:06 PDT)
Four picks to keep an eye on this summer as we approach the start of the 2012 season.

Indianapolis Colts Sign Defensive Lineman from Arena Football League: Fan Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 07:02:00 PDT)
In their continuing preparations for the 2012 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts have signed defensive lineman Jerry J. Brown from the San Antonio Talons of the Arena Football League.

Schiano: Winslow trade not about sending message (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 16:52:03 PDT)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) New Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano insists he wasn't sending a message by trading tight end Kellen Winslow, just improving the football team.

Greg Schiano not interested in Kellen Winslow questions (National Football Post)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 11:26:05 PDT)
Bucs coach says team is moving forward

Seahawks trade for Kellen Winslow; hope to make 2-TE sets more productive (Shutdown Corner)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 05:55:50 PDT)
In 2011, per the game-charting of NFL.com's Brian McIntyre, the Seattle Seahawks put two tight ends on the field 39 percent of the time, one of the highest figures in the NFL. However, they didn't get much production from those tight ends. Former Oakland Raiders tight end Zach Miller, acquired as a free agent before the 2011 season, caught just 25 passes on 44 targets for 233 yards and no touchdowns -- Seattle's injury-weakened offensive line put Miller in a position to block most of the time. Despite that, Miller led the team in all categories at the position. On Monday evening, the Seahawks endeavored to become more productive with the 2-TE sets they prefer by trading for ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow. For assuming Winslow's contract, the Seahawks gave up just a seventh-round draft pick in 2013 (conditional sixth if Winslow meets certain performance guidelines). Winslow has three years left in a six-year, $36.1 million contract he signed in 2009, but the $3.3 million he's due this season in base salary is not guaranteed. The eight-year veteran was deemed expendable by new Bucs head coach Greg Schiano after missing a recent round of OTAs, and it was Winslow himself who revealed the news -- last Saturday, Schiano told him that the Bucs were looking to make a deal and get him out of there. In his place, the Bucs signed former Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark to a one-year deal. [ Related: Trading Kellen Winslow could be risky for the Buccaneers ] "It's kind of shocking, but that's what it is," Winslow told Ross Tucker of SIRIUS NFL Radio on Monday morning. " [Schiano] said he was upset that I wasn't working out with the team in the offseason, and then, the first week of OTAs. But, look -- I've been there the last three years, and I've had a successful career so far, and you just don't get rid of one of your best players because of that. That's just what I was told, but I have nothing bad to say about coach Schiano -- it was just a disagreement on why I'm not there yet. I was training in San Diego, and I was going to start [in OTAs with the team] today, but I got the call on Saturday that they're looking for somebody else." Winslow was especially surprised, given his claim that he has participated in a team event before in this preseason. "There was a previous minicamp -- I went to that. It was a three-day minicamp and then, I came back down to San Diego to train, and I was going to start [back with the team] today."

Bucs find a home for Kellen Winslow Jr (National Football Post)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 05:36:06 PDT)
Seahawks hope he can replace John Carlson

Monday's Sports in Brief (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 03:27:04 PDT)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Magic fired coach Stan Van Gundy on Monday and agreed to part ways with general manager Otis Smith, severing ties to two of the architects of one of the most successful runs in franchise history.

Lions hit the ground running in the Motor City (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 02:04:06 PDT)
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) Matthew Stafford had Jahvid Best in the backfield, tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler on the inside, and receiver Calvin Johnson on the outside.

Buccaneers deal TE Winslow to Seattle, sign Clark (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 20:59:24 PDT)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Seattle Seahawks for a draft pick on Monday night and signed former Colts star Dallas Clark to replace him.

NFL roundup: Manning feels good in first practice (The SportsXchange)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 16:01:12 PDT)
Peyton Manning was back on the field Monday and looked like his old self.

Bucs acting fast to replace Kellen Winslow with Dallas Clark (National Football Post)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 15:40:12 PDT)
Ex-Colts tight end headed to Tampa

Implementing the plan (National Football Post)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 13:06:09 PDT)
Following the team’s 4-12 disaster last season, the Buccaneers are putting together a blueprint for success in 2012.

Winslow move could be a costly one for Bucs in the short term (Shutdown Corner)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 10:38:00 PDT)
The Monday morning news came straight from the mouth of Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow when he told Ross Tucker of SIRIUS NFL Radio that his current team was looking to trade him -- and if that didn't work out, a release could be imminent. "It's kind of shocking, but that's what it is," Winslow said. "He [referring to head coach Greg Schiano] said he was upset that I wasn't working out with the team in the offseason, and then, the first week of OTAs. But, look -- I've been there the last three years, and I've had a successful career so far, and you just don't get rid of one of your best players because of that. That's just what I was told, but I have nothing bad to say about coach Schiano -- it was just a disagreement on why I'm not there yet. I was training in San Diego, and I was going to start [in OTAs with the team] today, but I got the call on Saturday that they're looking for somebody else." Winslow was especially surprised, given his claim that he has participated in a team event before in this preseason. "There was a previous minicamp -- I went to that. It was a three-day minicamp and then, I came back down to San Diego to train, and I was going to start [back with the team] today." According to Winslow, he flew cross-country from San Diego to Tampa to hear that he was going to be gone. "They tried to catch me before I left, but that didn't work out." So, there it is. The Bucs were apparently trying to swing a trade with the Bears involving Winslow a while back, but that never came to fruition. We know that Schiano has said a great many things about creating a new culture of accountability and responsibility for the Bucs (how he does that with a straight face after the circumstances surrounding the Butch Davis hire is another matter), but the plan to just jettison Winslow is a curious one, at best. Winslow regressed in 2011, but he did so along with the rest of the Buccaneers' offense, and he played often despite a balky right knee weakened from six different surgeries through his career. In October, he leaped over New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer in a move that showed that he still has at least enough athleticism to help any team that's weak at the tight end position ... like the Buccaneers after Saturday night. Luke Stocker and Chase Coffman are now the relatively unproven incumbents. "Honestly, I don't even know where that came from," Winslow said after a 26-20 Bucs win in which he caught five passes . "I didn't know I could do that anymore. I'm on one leg out there, but it's all about helping your team out there. You can hurt later." Does that sound like a malingerer to you? Look -- Winslow has clearly gone through his share of off-field issues, and he's been tagged as a "character risk" as a result. But it isn't as if he's been "lollygagging around the field," to paraphrase the skipper in " Bull Durham."

Kellen Winslow: On The Trading Block (Rotowire.com)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 09:45:35 PDT)
Update: Winslow says the team is looking to trade him, Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Buccaneers looking to deal TE Winslow (Pro Football Weekly)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 08:43:52 PDT)
Updated 11:45 a.m. ET, Monday, May 21

Bucs' Winslow expects to be traded or released (The SportsXchange)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 07:40:14 PDT)
Tampa Bay tight end Kellen Winslow's absence from offseason team activities was more than suspicious. On Monday, he shed light on the matter, telling Sirius XM NFL Radio that the coaching staff has informed him the team is going in another direction.

Deep Posts: Winslow not wanted in Tampa Bay? (Shutdown Corner)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 07:12:11 PDT)
Winslow not wanted in Tampa Bay? Ross Tucker of SIRIUS NFL Radio broke the news on his Twitter account this morning -- while hosting his show and talking to guest Kellen Winslow, Jr., it was revealed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under new head coach Greg Schiano want to go in a different direction, and are looking to trade the veteran tight end. Winslow said that he got the news Saturday night -- the Bucs will look to trade him to the right team, and if that doesn't work out (which it won't now ... public knowledge tends to kill trade value), he may be released. Winslow had one of his best seasons in 2010 , but declined along with the rest of Tampa Bay's offense in 2011. Schiano may prefer more traditional blocking tight ends in what projects to be a run-heavy offense. He also said that the team was unhappy about his choice to work away from the facility this offseason. Oh, look! It's the curl/flat again... Our buddy Chris Brown over at the indispensable Smart Football site has a brilliant article up today on the relatively simple passing concepts put together by the Indianapolis Colts of the Peyton Manning/Tom Moore era, and why they were so tough to stop despite the fact that the playbook was relatively simple and predictable (especially from a formation concept; the Colts were the ultimate three-WR/one-back team through most of the 2000s). Great read, as is most of Chris' stuff. If you want to get more into the schematic aspects of the game, check out his new book here . The real value of minicamps. Matt Bowen at the National Football Post writes about the true meaning of OTAs -- despite what many think, it's less about finding sleeper prospects and more about getting back in shape and up to speed. For rookies, the real secret to those first "voluntary/mandatory" sessions is the ability to start real playbook install. In my opinion, it will be interesting to see if any second-year players will see ancillary benefits from this, as they were prevented from early install by the 2011 lockout.

Kellen Winslow Jr. says Bucs will look to trade him (National Football Post)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 07:12:06 PDT)
Veteran tight end probably won't bring much in return