Just when I thought I wouldn't have anything to work off of until just before game time, in comes a report that Kellen Winslow did something no one would have expected him to do. I don't mean that he sat down at his locker and started dealing Tarot cards to the coaching staff, I mean that he said he hopes to come back and play for the Browns next season.
What?! That can't be! Wasn't he the guy that called out the ownership for not checking in on him during that bout with a staph infection? That was supposed to be the nail in the free agent coffin! But wait, this was the same guy who last season broke down in tears of joy after a Browns victory, not because it was a rarity like this season, but because it helped the team reach beyond the mediocrity line of one game above five hundred, a sign that maybe the team could do some good for its city.
Hey, I'm not saying I've never been critical of Winslow. I don't roll out motorcycle jokes at the mere mention of his name, but I'm not drooling over the thought of his run blocking either. However, if after everything he, the team, and the organization have been through he still wants to be a Brown, that means one of three things:
1. Winslow needs a better helmet to protect his dome.
2. He sees something in this team's future that no one else outside the locker room does, a possibility I'm willing to entertain.
3. Joe Jurevicius is contagious. I'm leaning toward this one.
Speaking of tight ends, backup Jed Collins got dropped to the practice squad. Who came up in his place? Well, with Harrison not practicing the Browns called up a running back from the practice squad, Allen Patrick. For those 96% of you that shop at the "Who's Allen Patrick" Mart, he was the second-string back behind Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma in 2006, and the lead runner for 2007. I'm not expecting Romeo to play him much (because if rushing Lewis up the middle doesn't work the first nine times, keep trying), even though he should, if for no other reason than to give the Eagles defense something they've never seen before. The guy was on the Browns practice squad all season after being dropped by the Ravens in the summer and barring another injury, this could be his best shot at showing he belongs in the NFL. I know I sound like I'm rooting for the underdog; I'm a Browns fan, it's a habit. Besides, Patrick also played safety and kick returner, so- oh wait, I'm about to suggest adding versatility to a Browns gameplan.
Now then, what does Vegas say on the odds that McNabb and another Browns quarterback somehow get injured at the same time?
Keywords: Cleveland Browns Kellen Winslow Allen Patrick Joe Jurevicius
