In somewhat surprising news, the Buccaneers are reportedly shopping tight end Kellen Winslow.
He is only 28 years old, but after numerous knee surgeries, his timetable to keep playing at a high level has been truncated - he may only have a few years left. His contract still has three years left on his deal, and is scheduled to make a manageable $3.3 million in 2012.
Whether he is traded or flat-out released remains to be seen. In any case, which teams would be in the market for Winslow's services?
Houston Texans: They still have the talented Owen Daniels, but they lost a key contributor in Joel Dressen after he signed with the Broncos. Winslow will be able to give the Texans the dual threat at tight end that they would have been lacking coming into this season.
With a new hole at the right tackle position, the Texans could use an extra tight end to help with chips off the line to help make up for the loss of Eric Winston.
Buffalo Bills: Scott Chandler is a nice player, but he is more of a wide receiver in a tight end's body than anything else. Winslow is a more complete player in terms of being both a blocker and a pass-catcher.
Miami Dolphins: With Ryan Tannehill the favorite to win the job as the starting quarterback, he will need as many weapons at his disposal as possible. With Brandon Marshall now in Chicago, the Dolphins need to add some bodies for Tannehill to work with.
Not to mention, breaking in a rookie quarterback with a reliable safety blanket at the tight end position is always a good idea.
Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez likely only has one more year left in the tank. Without a proven heir, the Falcons could find themselves in a bind if Gonzalez does in fact retire after this season.
In the meantime, the Falcons can use Winslow and Gonzalez and multiple sets and perhaps limit the amount of snaps Gonzalez is taking, keeping him fresher for the playoffs.
New York Jets: The Jets do have Dustin Keller, but outside of him, there are not reliable targets for Sanchez to throw to at the tight end position. Jeff Cumberland has shown promise as a pass catcher, but he tore his achilles last preseason and is lacks blocking ability.
With Tony Sparano in control of the Jets' offense, they will look to get back to running the ball out of two-tight end sets.
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have been juggling the tight end spot for some time now. Last offseason, they tried to amend the situation by signing Todd Heap away from the Ravens, but he ultimately missed significant time due to injury.
Winslow presents his own injury risk, but he is also a much better player than anyone else on the Cardinals roster at the position.
