Chicago Bears: Kellen Winslow Would be Significant Upgrade at Tight End

By Bear Heiser
Senior Writer

It’s not everyday that a team could substitue one Kellen for another, but that’s exactly what the Chicago Bears should look to do now that tight end Kellen Winslow has been released by the Seattle Seahawks.

While the exact reason for Winslow’s release isn’t exactly known that this point, Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times is reporting that Winslow refused to take a pay cut down from his $3.3 million 2012 salary.

When Winslow was first acquired from Tampa Bay, word out of Seattle was that he would be a great fit. But concerns about the strength of his knees and a lackluster preseason must have changed the mind of head coach Pete Carroll.

Winslow had a nice season for the Buccaneers in 2011, catching 75 passes for 763 yards with two touchdowns. So, in theory, he still should be able to provide something for another NFL team. But had Winslow been on the Seattle’s roster for Week 1, the entire amount of his salary would have been fully guaranteed.

Now the Bears elected to keep four tight ends on the 53-man roster that was partially finalized Friday evening, Kellen Davis, Matt Spaeth, Kyle Adams and Evan Rodriguez, respectively, all made it through.

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Adding Winslow to the mix would obviously force general manager Phil Emery to shed a body at tight end. Winslow is 6’4″, 240 pounds and knows how to play the position. He’s the kind of tight end that will net you 50-70 catches and 600-700 yards in the passing game.

Only two of the seven seasons Winslow was actually on the field—he missed the entire 2005 season after wrecking his motorcycle – did he catch less than 50 passes and have less than 700 yards in the air. Winslow is what you would call a ball-control tight end.

Davis is the only one with a similar skill set to that of Winslow, but the biggest knock on him has been his failure to show said talent during game play. Davis stands at 6’7″, 267 pounds and has skills that could rank him among the NFL’s elite at the position, but he has yet to be able to figure out how to use his remarkable skills.

Davis is, at best, a project at this point. In 2011, Davis caught just 18 passes for 206 yards, but he did have five touchdowns.

Rodriguez could be something great for the Bears, but it’s absolutely too soon to know what he will bring to the table. The Bears just drafted Rodriguez in the fourth round of April’s draft, so he is going to need some time to improve his blocking ability, while adapting to the speed of the pro game.

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Spaeth was kept for the sole purpose of blocking. The Bears’ offensive line is a complete unknown right now. As a result, Spaeth’s ability to block will allow offensive coordinator Mike Tice to place him on the line in a three-point stance to act as insurance for the tackles.

The Bears have the ability this season to make a very deep run in the playoffs. Bears’ fans haven’t seen an offense this stacked, maybe ever. So to take a chance on Winslow, even if Seattle didn’t want him, could be a worthy risk to take. And if there’s one thing we have learned about Emery in his short tenure as general manager, it’s that he’s willing to take risks.

However, the major catching point could be the $3.3 million salary Winslow was supposed to be paid. For the Bears to sign him, he would have to take a lot less money. But could the chance to play on a Super Bowl caliber team for the first time in his career make it worth his while?

That is really the main question. Chicago has just over $5 million committed in salary and bonuses to the four tight ends already on the roster, but obviously one of them could be shipped out before Week 1 which would nullify the base salary.

Risks must be taken in order to be a championship team and Emery knows that. Whether or not Winslow adds value to the roster in his eyes is unknown. But on paper, the move makes a lot of sense; and there’s nothing wrong with giving Jay Cutler another weapon to run alongside newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Stay tuned to National Football Authority for more on Winslow’s future.

Follow Bear on Twitter: @BearHeiser

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