So why did the Bucs bail on tight end Kellen Winslow, giving him to Seattle for a seventh-round pick that could become a sixth-round selection? The folks at JoeBucsFan.com have an intriguing theory.
As former Giants receiver Amani Toomer famously explained it during Super Bowl week on NBC SportsTalk, the development of Giants quarterback Eli Manning became impeded by the constant demands of former Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey for the ball. In light of evidence that Winslow may have been doing just that to Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman in 2011, it could be that the Bucs concluded that having Winslow on the roster would make it harder for Freeman to reach his full potential.
In contrast, new Bucs tight end Dallas Clark knows how to defer to a quarterback, based on his time with Peyton Manning. And if Clark helps persuade the other pass-catchers to take whatever passes Freeman sends their way, Freeman will be able to not worry about forcing the ball to a guy who may is covered, and to focus instead on simply throwing it to the open man.
This isn’t about whether the concerns are legitimate or whether Seahawks fans now should worry about Winslow politicking aggressively for the ball with Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson or Russell Wilson or whoever the quarterback will be. It’s about trying to figure out why the Bucs would give up on a guy who provided three solid seasons of football.