Rick's Cafe Americain

After a 12 day holdout, Kellen Winslow, the Browns first round draft choice, has signed reportedly the largest contract ever for a tight end.

It happened around the time that agents realized that owners/general managers who work for teams with top-5 draft picks realized that if they didn’t get their guy signed and into camp they would be hung from the highest building in town.

And they aren’t exactly unproven.  Even if they haven’t played in the NFL, they are the consensus stars of the future. Plenty of veteran contracts don’t live up to expectations either. I don’t think there are too many GMs around the league saying “I’d rather have my guy than Kellen Winslow II.”

Most people would consider Winslow a pretty safe bet, since his is a pretty uncomplicated position and his athletic abilities can’t really be questioned...but there are still many players at similarly uncomplicated positions who have been complete busts.  And quarterbacks are at best a 50/50 shot in the first round.

I bet there are plenty of GMs around the league who are glad they are not giving that kind of money to a tight end.  At that salary, unless he is as at least good as a Gonzalez, he is a disappointment to a bust, depending on how much less.  Ask that guy who runs the Patriots if he is crying in his milk.

Think about Philip Rivers.  How confident are you that that guy is going to be a franchise quarterback?  He might end up not even being as good as Couch.

QB is clearly an exception.  I don’t know why any team would draft a QB at the top of the 1st round. Ever.  It is so much easier to let someone else train the QB and sign them once they have proven themselves elsewhere.