What Led to Kellen Winslow's Departure?

Based on comments I've received on twitter, there appears to be some confusion regarding what led to the departure of Kellen Winslow. Hopefully this 'timeline' of sorts, based on what I know about the situation, provides some clarity, particularly on when the Bucs told Winslow not to come to OTAs.

Before I get into that...I want to shed some light on a misconception regarding OTAs in the NFL. Yes these "Optional Team Activities," are in fact, optional as the name suggests. But, any player on any NFL team will tell you that you pretty much have to be there. This especially holds true for a new coaching staff that is still getting to know players.

If you want that starting job, you better be there or somebody else is going to take your spot. After all, why should you get the job when you're putting forth "C" effort and the guy next to you is giving it an "A+?"

So...guys aren't forced to attend OTAs, but if you're not there, you better have a pretty darn good reason not to be, and in Kellen Winslow's case, he really didn't have one. He simply chose to do what he's done for the last few years which is spend his offseasons working out by himself in San Diego while the new coaching staff installs about 85% of its offensive playbook.

But before everyone jumps on the guy, remember that this was something former Bucs head coach Raheem Morris and his assistants allowed Winslow to do. In many ways -- between working out on his own and missing practices weekly because of a chronic knee injury -- he isolated himself from the team.

It appears that this type of arrangement did not sit will with new head coach Greg Schiano, who has gone above and beyond trying to re-instill the value of team in this group.

With that said...here is a timeline of events that led to and may have contributed to Winslow's departure.

April 17-19 – Winslow attends Bucs voluntary mini camp. (The Bucs are allotted an extra three-day mini camp because they have a new head coach). After camp, Winslow flies back to San Diego.

May 6 – Winslow Guest DJs at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas (See the flyer for the event below)

May 15 – Start of Bucs OTAs. Winslow is absent and according to his own account, training in San Diego. Dallas Clark worked out for the New England Patriots on this day as well, according to the Boston Globe.

May 16-19 – ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported that at some point during this time period, the Bucs worked out Dallas Clark.

May 19 – According to Winslow, he flew back to Tampa Saturday so he could begin practicing with the team Monday. Instead, Saturday night, he was notified by Schiano that the team would be going in a different direction.

May 21 – Winslow goes on Sirius XM NFL Radio and says he won’t be back with the Bucs in 2012. You can listen to a clip of the interview here.

Among the most revealing aspect of the interview? When asked about his absenses, Winslow responded, "Look I've been there the last three years. I've a successful career so far. You just don't get rid of one of your best players because of that."

Later that night, the Bucs officially announce the signing of Clark and that they traded Winslow to the Seattle Seahawks for an undisclosed draft pick. It has since been revealed that it’s a seventh round pick.

Okay, so key details to remember:

First, let's be clear that based on what is known at this time, Winslow's absense from OTAs happened before Schiano notified him that the team would be going in a different direction.

The reason I emphasize this is because I've had a couple people message me saying, "But they told him not to come. Why would he come if he wasn't wanted?"

Based on what is known at this time, he was wanted, but made a choice not to fly to Florida and start OTAs with the team.

Second, it's important to note that the DJ gig happened before he missed OTAs. His publicist posted the flyer on twitter prior and it garnered enough interest that NFL.com ran a story on it.

Now why am I emphasizing the DJ gig?

I think the guys over at Joe Bucs Fan said it best -- "It’s one thing under the New Schiano Order not to work out with the team in the offseason, but perhaps it’s quite another to flaunt your absence in public."

That statement is spot on, especially when you consider the fact that Tanard Jackson was released because he chose not to rehab at the team's facility. Shouldn't that have been a wakeup call to Winslow?

It's clear that under Greg Schiano, no one is above the team and anyone who thinks he is, regardless of previous achievements, will be shown the door.



+Jenna Laine

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bucs and other NFL coverage:
@JennaLaineBucs

It's Officially Official: Bucs Sign Dallas Clark and Trade Kellen Winslow to Seattle

So much for getting a good night's sleep...

Amidst a sea of speculation all day long, the Bucs announced they have signed free agent tight end Dallas Clark and have shipped Kellen Winslow to the Seahawks for an undisclosed 2013 draft pick.

It all started this morning on a Sirius XM NFL Radio when Winslow told Ross Tucker that he wouldn't be back in Tampa this year, saying the Bucs were trying to trade him.

Then ESPN's Adam Shefter reported that Clark had worked out for the Bucs last week, prompting rumors to swirl, and many of us media folk to cancel our evening plans. (No Game 5 for me tonight. Thanks).

Clark also worked out for the Patriots, according to the Boston Globe (makes no sense at all). His contract in Tampa is for one year (that DOES make sense). Terms are not known at this point.

Winslow was not present for the start of OTAs last week, which many speculate did not sit well with the Bucs new head coach Greg Schiano, especially when you consider that, rather than joining the team, he was guest DJ'ing an event at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Winslow has always maintained that he prefers to spend his offseason training in San Diego. And typically those offseasons are spent rehabbing a bum knee which has endured countless surgeries.

The Bucs have been willing to accomodate Winslow's situation, giving him a permanent spot on the injury report, and several days off of practice throughout the season. Unfortunately, this may have caused some tension with younger players who viewed this type of preferential treatment as unfair.

Regardless of how you view K2, he had a productive career as a Buc and played through a lot of pain.

Winslow struggled last year, but he was a big reason the Bucs finished 10-6 in 2010. He was Josh Freeman's number one target that year, catching 66 passes, and his key guy on third down.

At 32, Dallas Clark is no spring chicken. But he's got a

wealth of experience, including playing in two Super Bowls.

Meanwhile, Dallas Clark may not have a whole lot of gas left in the tank, but he'll bring a level of leadership that should help Josh Freeman immensely, especially given that he has PLAYOFF experience, including two Super Bowl appearances and a ring from 2006.

When you look at the Bucs current roster, hardly any of these guys have actually participated in a playoff game.

I like the fact that Clark understands what it takes to build something. After all, he was drafted by the Colts and spent his entire nine-year career there thus far. He's a home-grown player, which is something the Bucs have desperately tried to do with their own draft picks.

At his best in 2009, Clark helped the Colts clinch the AFC Championship and had 1,106 yards receiving. At his worst, which was an abbreviated six-game season in 2010 and last year with a very inexperienced quarterback, he still managed to be a productive player.

And considering the Bucs fourth round draft pick last year, Luke Stocker, also struggled last season with injuries, Tampa Bay needs some consistency at the position. So healthy or not, Clark merely showing up is a good start.


+Jenna Laine

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bucs and other NFL coverage:
@JennaLaineBucs

Osi Falls Short in His Quest for 500k Followers and LT's Ring

Welp...so much for a happy ending.

By 10 pm yesterday evening, it became clear that Osi Umenyiora had fallen well short of his goal for 1 million 500,000 Twitter followers. That's the figure he said he'd need to cough up $1 million to bid on Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl ring.

Osi finished the night with 54,899 -- not bad considering he began his quest yesterday morning around 20k. (I began keeping score at 29,731).

This was his response to falling short on his ambitious quest:

Turns out, the winning bid wasn't even close to the $1 million Umenyiora pledged to donate. It went for $230,401.

His reaction -- "Yikes! I guess the 450,000 let me off the hook!"

Now the mystery remains...who won it? The name and location of the winning bidder is private.

I can't help but think, value aside, 'What man wears a ring with another man's name on it?' Is it even a 'he?' What kind of woman has big enough fingers to wear what must be a monstrous-sized ring?

Does any of this strike you guys as just a tad bit creepy?

And if the winning bidder is a true Giants fan (and there are swarms of absolute die-hards out there), wouldn't he or she feel compelled to do the right thing and return the ring to its rightful owner?

Better yet, make it a conditional donation. "Here's your ring. Now get your life on track and repair your relationship with your son."



+Jenna Laine

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bucs and other NFL coverage:
@JennaLaineBucs

Osi Umenyiora Wants To Buy Back Lawrence Taylor's Super Bowl Ring

Update: (11:12 am) Umenyiora is now only asking for 500,000 followers, per his Twitter account. He's currently at 35,117.

Now this is some wacky.....

But it has the potential for a really happy ending.

It's no secret that NFL all-time great Lawrence Taylor's personal life has been in turmoil for quite some time. Last year, the Hall of Fame linebacker was sentenced to six years probation for soliciting an underage prostitute.

Giants all-time great Lawrence Taylor after his most recent arrest (AP)

 That was just the latest in a history of legal issues ranging from attempting to buy crack from an undercover police officer to filing bad tax returns and fleeing the scene of a vehicle accidents.

But this may be the ultimate blow -- the betrayal of a son.

Lawrence Taylor had no idea his son, Lawrence Taylor Jr., was auctioning off his Super Bowl XXV ring, which surfaced on SCP Auctions Thursday.

According to the auction site, the ring, which has Taylor's name and number "56" engraved on the side, was a gift from Taylor to his son.


I could imagine that with Taylor's legal troubles, father and son might have a strained relationship. But selling a priceless momento on possibly the greatest day of Dad's life?

But this is where it gets interesting.


This morning, Giants' defensive end Osi Umenyiora announced via of his Twitter account that if he reaches 1 million followers, he will purchase Taylor's ring for $1 million, which is what he believes it will take to win the auction.

He added -- "L.T is a football LEGEND! If 1,000,000 people support him getting his ring back, then its worth it to me to buy it and give it back to him."

Perhaps it was receiving his own Super Bowl ring Wednesday that compelled Umenyiora to pledge his support. Maybe he's doing it to improve his own public image.

Or perhaps it's just a salute to a legend whose wreckless style on the football field revolutionized football but also translated into a turbulent, troublesome life off the field.

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is trying to help L.T. get his ring back

Umenyiora stated -- "I've met L.T. once in my whole life, but if one million people care enough to get him his ring, then I care enough to pay for it."

He also clarified that it won't be the 1,000,000th person to actually give it to him, but "a random follower."

My friend Art Stapleton, who covers the Giants for The Record in New Jersey (good guy to follower on Twitter, by the way) caught wind of it immediately.

Stapleton noted that Umenyiora's twitter following "jumped roughly 3,000 followers in 20 minutes or so. Long way to go, but his quest for support of L.T.'s ring has legs."

Lawrence Taylor with the Super Bowl XXV Lombardi Trophy

It helps that he got not one, but two 'retweets' from ESPN's Adam Shefter, who has a massive following of 1.59 million people.

It's an uphill battle for Umenyiora, who now has 10 hours and 54 minutes to grow his list of followers by 967,694. As of 11:06 am EST, he's at 32,306. He was at 29,731 when I began writing this article at 10:30.

The bid is currently at $108,378.


+Jenna Laine

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bucs and other NFL coverage:
@JennaLaineBucs

On This Day, May 17...Hank Aaron Reached 3,000

On this day, May 17, 1970, Henry "Hank" Aaron reached a milestone that has, in many ways, become synonymous with baseball immortality - hit number 3,000.

At the time only nine men had reached this elusive mark.

Aaron's single, off Wayne Simpson, catapaulted him into this elite group, and into a league of his own -- he became the first to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

Later that day, "Hammerin' Hank" hit home run number 570.

In a way, this was a game where things came full circle for Aaron. It was against the Cincinnati Reds, the same club he faced in his big league debut back in April of 1954, a game where he struggled at the plate and went hitless in five at-bats.

To date, only 28 men in the history of Major League Baseball have reached the 3,000 hit club. Aaron  sits third on that list with 3,771. He is second of all-time in home runs (755).

He is regarded by many as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, baseball player of all time, enjoying a career that spanned 23 seasons.

In 1999, Major League Baseball created the Hank Aaron Award in his honor, recognizing the top hitter in both the American and National Leagues.

Missing Lee Roy and the Indescribable Bond Between Siblings

I received a tremendous response from you guys on the piece I wrote yesterday about Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon. Thank you for the kind words and retweets.

It doesn't shock me in the least bit just how many 'Lee Roy' fans are out there, but I'm glad you all recognized and appreciated Dewey's achievements as well.

It got me thinking about my relationship with my own sister, Amber, who is four years older. Yesterday was her birthday. Ironically (and this wasn't something I planned) we met up for dinner at Lee Roy Selmon's, a chain of restaurants owned and operated by the Selmon family.

I'm not sure one can articulate the bond between siblings -- the fact that every achievement and milestone in her life I've celebrated as if it were my own, even it overshadowed my own accomplishments, and that I would do absolutely anything for her, even if it boiled down to life and death.

When you truly love your siblings, you celebrate their achievements as your own.

Dewey Selmon (right) with Lee Roy as he is honored by the University of Oklahoma.

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times. Read the article accompanying it here.

It's because she's my sister, my own blood, the very person who nursed my wounds the first time I fell off my bike, then proceeded to make fun of me for the scar on my forehead after :)

Lee Roy Selmon's has literally hundreds of photos of the Selmon brothers all along its walls. They take on new meaning now that one of them is no longer with us. I stopped at one on my way out. It was of the three brothers from their playing days at Oklahoma - Lee Roy, Dewey, and Lucious, all together smiling.

I thought about the tremendous void Dewey and Lucious must be feeling right now, as if a piece of them is truly gone. As a lifelong resident of Tampa Bay, I feel as if part of our city is gone now too. But strangely enough, it's not a lonely place. I still see Lee Roy's smiling face everywhere. It's comforting.

I couldn't imagine losing my own sister. I don't think it's something you ever get over. But it's why you truly cherish the moments you have together with your family here on earth, and it's why you celebrate life with the people you love, never taking a single second for granted.

The bond between siblings is an indescribable one. Here's me with the birthday girl.

In closing, here's a link to the Lee Roy Selmon Tribute I wrote for Yahoo Sports just after his passing. It features testimony from people who were blessed to know him as well as those who never knew him but were inspired by him in some capacity.

On This Day in 1976, the Selmon Brothers Officially Became Buccaneers

On this day in 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially signed Lee Roy Selmon and his brother Dewey.

  Lee Roy Selmon, Lucious Selmon and Dewey Selmon

The Selmon brothers, drafted in the first and second rounds respectively, both played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma. The pair of defensive tackles starred on two national championship teams with the Sooners under legendary coach Barry Switzer. Their brother Lucious had also played for OU.

The Selmon brothers' days in Tampa were quite different. Playing for the expansion Buccaneers, they lost their first 26 games.

It was then that Dewey, made an infamous proclamation in Sports Illustrated - he wouldn't marry his college sweetheart, Kathryn, who he had to leave behind in Oklahoma, until the "Yuccaneers" won their first game.

Signs began to pop up around the Old Sombrero where the Bucs used to play. They read, "Do it for Dewey!"

The Bucs finally got their win on December 11, 1977, beating the Saints in New Orleans. They were married shortly after.

The Selmon brothers' greatest feat as Buccaneer teammates was leading Tampa Bay to the 1979 NFC Championship game, coming within a breath of the Super Bowl.

Dewey would spend six seasons playing for the Bucs and one for the Chargers before retiring in 1982 and moving back to Norman.

Lee Roy spent his entire eight year career in Tampa Bay. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and remains the only Buccaneer enshrined in Canton. He passed away in September 2011 two days after suffering a stroke.

It's hard to imagine what the city of Tampa would be like without the Selmon brothers. It's hard enough knowing one of them is no longer with us.

After all, it seemed as if the Selmons were destined to be here.

Need proof? When Lee Roy first arrived in Tampa and was driving past the stadium, he came across two streets that ran perpendicular to the Old Sombrero (now the home of Raymond James).

 The names of those two streets?

"Leroy" and "Dewey." (They're still there by the way).