The Oakland Raiders are still in the market for a tight end after breakout star Brandon Myers left for the New York Giants and now the team has set its sights on Kellen Winslow, as the Cleveland Browns took Kellen Davis and signed him to a deal.
According to ESPN.com, the Browns have reached an agreement with Davis, signing him to a one-year deal after he became a free agent with the Bears. Davis was expendable after the team signed Martellus Bennett to a four-year contract. The Akron Beacon Journal confirmed the deal with the team.
The Browns were in need of a tight end after losing Benjamin Watson to the Saints and along with the Raiders they thought about signing former Cleveland player Kellen Winslow. The Browns passed on names like Brandon Myers and Dustin Keller and now have Davis in the fold for Brandon Weeden. Coach Rob Chudzinski likes to use tight ends and Davis could get some production after making just 19 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns last season.
The Browns were also interested in Fred Davis, but now deal has been made yet. The team also has Jordan Cameron and he could fit in behind Davis now that he is signed. The Raiders now can focus on Winslow and know that the Browns are not on their heels for him. The team could bring in Winslow at less than the market value since he hasn't been in the NFL since last season and is coming off of an injury, which is perfect for the team since they have a tight salary cap situation.
The Raiders have been quietly improving their defense after cutting Michael Huff and losing Philip Wheeler and Desmond Bryant, signing players like Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett. The team has some production to make up for with the loss of Myers, as the tight end led the team with 79 catches for 806 yards and four touchdowns.
The 29-year-old Winslow has dealt with injuries throughout his career, including when he was in Cleveland and got into a motorcycle accident. He also dealt with injuries when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the tight end has said he is now fully healthy. He was one of the most productive tight ends in football for as period, making 75 catches for 763 yards and two touchdowns in 2011 in his last season with the Buccaneers.
While with the Browns he signed the highest deal for a tight end and set team records with 77 catches for 884 yards, but he was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks after the team needed some cap relief. While with Cleveland, Winslow had the most yards in his career, gaining 1,106 in 2007 while making over 80 catches.
The Raiders were one of the worst teams in football last season and went 4-12 in the AFC West but after making some moves they could improve by a win or two. Adding Winslow would give Carson Palmer and Terrelle Pryor another option in the passing game after cutting Darrius Heyward-Bey and losing Myers in free agency.
