Photo: Daniel Wallace/Tampa Bay Times
- Adam ParkerThe revolving door in Tampa Bay continues.
First, the new regime led by rookie head coach Greg Schiano showed safety Tanard Jackson the door because of his off-field issues. Then, the team drafted his replacement in former Alabama safety Mark Barron.
Now, Schiano has set his sights on his next target.
After three seasons and 48 games, it appears that the Kellen Winslow era with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is coming to a close.
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday morning, Winslow said the team informed him that his services would no longer be required and that they would attempt to trade him.
Apparently, the partial reasoning behind Winslow's untimely departure -- at least according to the team -- is because of Winslow's absence during offseason workouts with the team.
Winslow, 28, joined the Bucs' in 2009 via a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Although a sore knee often held Winslow out of practice, the former Miami Hurricanes' standout didn't miss a single game, catching 75 passes for 763 yards and two touchdowns.
Where will new head coach Greg Schiano find Winslow's replacement?
Well, it could come in the form of another discarded veteran -- former Colts tight end Dallas Clark, who has been making the rounds and working out with various teams such as the Patriots, Chiefs and now Bucs' in recent weeks.
The soon to be 33-year-old former Iowa Hawkeyes star spent the first nine seasons of his career as one of Peyton Manning's primary security blankets up in Indianapolis; catching 427 passes for 4,887 yards and 46 touchdowns over that span.
Clark worked out for Tampa Bay last week, and appears to be on the cusp of joining the team of swashbucklers with a free agent contract, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
This is a great fit for both sides.
Clark obviously still wants to play and is one of the best pass-catchers in the business when he's healthy, and you can bet, with the success the Bucs' training staff had keeping Winslow on the field (he was oft-injured during his first four seasons in Cleveland), that Clark will be 100 percent too. He'll be a great fit to help young quarterback Josh Freeman rebound from a horrendous 2011.
As for Winslow, I'm not sure what suitors, if any, the Bucs will find for his services. Tight end has become a very important and desirable position in today's NFL, no doubt. But that's also the reason that most teams already have multiple quality players at the position.
But for someone like Winslow who's arguably entering the prime of his career, you have to think his phone will be ringing with teams like the Chargers (to pair him with Antonio Gates), the Bears (haven't had a decent option at tight end since trading Greg Olsen) or my personal favorite to win Winslow's services -- the Denver Broncos on the other end.
Sure, they already brought Peyton's old teammate in Jacob Tamme on board, but whose to say that two quality pass-catching tight ends wouldn't be better than one?
Makes sense to me.
We'll have to wait and see.
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