As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players on the Jets roster. Each weekday we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game. Hope you enjoy.
No. 18: KELLEN WINSLOW
Last year’s ranking: Unranked/not on team
Position: Tight End
Age: 29
How acquired: Signed as a free agent on June 14, 2013
Contract status: 1 year, $840,000 remaining
Looking back at 2012: Winslow played in just one game for the Patriots and caught one pass. He joined the Patriots after being released by the Seahawks prior to the season when he refused to rework his contract.
Winslow has a bad right knee that scared off teams from bringing him in. He has had several surgeries on the knee, including microfracture in 2007. He did not draw much interest this offseason until the Jets invited him to minicamp as a tryout player and liked what they saw.
Outlook for 2013: Expectations seem a little too high for Winslow, who turns 30 before camp, from fans. It is highly unlikely he will be the player that starred for the Browns and Buccaneers, but if he can stay on the field Winslow could be a nice pickup for the Jets.
The team is very thin at tight end and it needs some playmakers on the field. If Winslow is right, he can be that guy. He will be competing with Jeff Cumberland for the starting job, a competition he should be able to win.
The Jets took a chance on LaRon Landry last year after he had battled injuries throughout prior years and it worked. The training staff crafted a plan that kept Landry rested and on the field and he wound up in the Pro Bowl. Expect Winslow to have similar practice restrictions as the Jets try to get whatever is left out of him.