Kellen Winslow – Injury Status for Washington | Kellen Winslow to Philadelphia?

(For the latest on Kellen Winslow’s current spat with Browns’ management, visit the Cleveland Browns news page or read the post specifically regarding Kellen Winslow being upset, and Romeo Crennel’s reaction.)

It has been a great week for the Cleveland Browns, beginning Monday night with the 35-14 victory over the New York Giants, and moving into today when Eric Wright was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. (And, of course, there was the humorous viral story about Braylon Edwards and his Penn State shirt.) However, there is still one cloud hanging over the Cleveland Browns: the status of their outstanding tight end Kellen Winslow.

Last week, we piggy-backed on a few reports about the mysterious illness that landed Kellen Winslow in the hospital and forced him to miss the Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants. We even attempted our own photoshop-style humor to illustrate the purported symptoms being experienced by Kellen Winslow over the weekend.

Well, the good news is that Kellen Winslow is out of the hospital. In fact, he was released on Monday before the beginning of the Browns-Giants tilt. What is still a mystery is what landed Kellen Winslow there in the first place, and why he remains at home receiving treatment and not on the practice field with his teammates preparing for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.

According to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, per Cleveland.com, Romeo Crennel had the following to say regarding the current status of Kellen Winslow:

“I spoke with him and he’s doing well. I’m hopeful he’ll play, but there’s no guarantee. If things keep progressing, he’ll be there to help us try to win the game.”

First off, I just want to say that I hope Kellen gets well soon. He is easily one of my favorite Browns players, and one of the primary emotional leaders on our team along with Jamal Lewis. I may have made light of the still-unconfirmed report that Winslow was suffering from swelling in the testicular area, but it was partly in tongue-in-check deference to Winslow’s “soldier” mentality, toughness, and attitude. He exudes the spirit of the euphemism “he’s got balls.”

Whatever his ailment is, and obviously it is something of a relatively serious nature considering the caution of his care and the tight-lipped discussion by the Browns, let’s just hope it’s something Kellen can get over quickly; both for himself and for the team. Unlike Mike Florio over at ProFootballTalk.com, I do not think there is any credence to the notion that the Browns might somehow be better off without Kellen Winslow.

Florio’s comments were part of an interesting report supposedly based on something heard on a Philadelphia radio station that the Cleveland Browns had been contacted by the Philadelphia Eagles regarding a possible trade for Kellen Winslow. Who knows whether or not that is true, but I think the notion that the Browns could be better without Kellen WInslow is preposterous. Now that the trade deadline his passed, the whole story is moot; but nonetheless intriguing and surprising.

Look, Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins made plays Monday night — in fact, they were more than adequate in stepping in during Winslow’s absence — but they are what they are: 2nd and 3rd tight ends, not offensive focal points. Kellen Winslow joins Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Jerome Harrison and now a healthy Donte Stallworth, to give Derek Anderson and the Browns five significant offensive weapons. Steve Heiden is a solid role player, but the Browns need the dynamic play-making ability of Kellen Winslow to continue moving up the AFC standings.

Did the Browns and Eagles engage in talks about a Winslow trade? Who knows. It would not surprise me, or disappoint me. If the Eagles are inquiring, with Winslow’s contract status a major offseason issue for the Browns to deal with after the season, it is prudent to at least see what they are offering. Let’s be outlandishly hypothetical for a moment, and say it’s a #1 draft pick and DeSean Jackson. Don’t you at least have to think about that? I am sure that is way more than Philadelphia would give up, and I still would rather (I think) the Browns keep Winslow even if that was a potential offer, but it would behoove Phil Savage to at least listen in the best interests of the organization.

At the end of the day though, Kellen Winslow is thankfully still a Brown and seeming to get better by the day even though he remains at home receiving treatment for his mystery illness. Both of these factors are good news, and I am sure that all Browns fans feel exactly like me: we just want to see #80 back on the field, being a dynamic receiving threat and fearless emotional leader for a team that can sometimes be devoid of exactly that.

With each passing day that Kellen Winslow does not practice, however, you have to begin to doubt his availability for Sunday’s game against Washington. Luckily, Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins proved that the Browns can still get significant production from the tight end position even if they are forced to again play without Kellen Winslow, one of the three best tight ends in football.

[tags]kellen winslow, cleveland browns, nfl, football, trade rumors[/tags]

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