Right after the news broke that the Buccaneers had grown tired of Kellen Winslow and were looking to trade him, Ryan Alfieri wrote a piece discussing the 5 teams where Winslow would be a good fit. Unfortunately for Winslow, none of the teams Ryan listed made an attempt at a trade. And what happened next all but assured that Winslow will never be a fantasy football commodity again.
On May 22nd, the Seahawks forked over a meager 7th-round pick in 2013 that could turn into a 6th rounder depending on Winslow's performance. But depending on the details of what Winslow exactly has to do, I doubt the Buccaneers luck out and see an extra 6th rounder in next year's draft.
NFL reporter Adam Caplan Tweeted sentiments from one NFL personnel member, stating:
We just didn't think he could be more than a rotational player at this point (in his career) after examining his tape and performance."
Winslow may have not been in the class of "TE1 Material" this fantasy offseason, but his outlook was looking better after the Buccaneers added Vincent Jackson into the fold. But now that Winslow is in the West Coast, his fantasy value is all but shot. There are a couple reasons why Winslow isn't draftable in the largest of leagues:
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- After six surgeries, Winslow is a 29 year old playing with 79 year old knees. His playmaking abilities have slowly declined. While he has been able to play much more over recent years, his knee troubles will eventually come back to haunt him again.
- When was the last time a Seahawk tight end even had any fantasy value? John Carlson had a strong rookie season, but his receiving numbers gradually got worse in the three years he was there. And last year, Zach Miller went from the cusp of possibly being the next TE1 in Oakland to a dud after catching just 25 passes. The lowest of his career.
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As I write this, I really don't understand why the Seahawks made the move in the first place. They are a run-first oriented offense and barely use their tight ends in the passing game. The team clearly needs playmakers, but they won't get it in Winslow. Winslow will offer some help here and there. But as far as fantasy value goes, I wouldn't take Winslow as a TE2 in a 16-team league. His fantasy days are squashed.