"It was very hard," the New York Jets tight end said Tuesday. "Besides my motorcycle accident (in 2005), it was the toughest part of my career. And it was unnecessary."
"Kellen is great, not only from a leadership standpoint, which is something I think he brings to the table every single week, but a physical standpoint," Smith said. "He's one of those tight ends who constantly gets open. He can be a safety valve for me. He communicates well, he's extremely smart, he knows defenses. He's just a wily vet.
Winslow is only two years removed from catching 75 passes for Tampa Bay in 2011, but a balky and surgically repaired right knee and the fact he turned 30 this summer might have scared off some teams. Sensing he'd get very little playing time, he asked for his release last season after that one game with the Patriots, who he'll face Thursday night.
Even when he was sitting at home a few months ago, anxiously waiting for a phone call from an NFL team — any team, really — that would give him another chance.
But he's already on his way to showing 31 other teams that maybe they should have picked up the phone this offseason. Make no mistake, all the doubters still drive Winslow.
After allowing Dustin Keller to leave as a free agent, the Jets were thin. During his three-day tryout, Winslow impressed Rex Ryan, flashing some of the skills that made him one of the league's best young tight ends during his first few seasons in Cleveland.
Winslow acknowledged that it's just one game, and he has plenty more work to do. The Jets have been routinely given him "rest days" to make sure he doesn't overdo things in practice.
"He's hungry," Reuland said. "He's got a chip on his shoulder. He's one hell of a competitor. Really, he's one of the most competitive people I've ever been around. He took last year as 32 teams passed on him."
The former Pro Bowl tight end had a terrific debut Sunday, catching a team-leading seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown in the 18-17 win over Tampa Bay while also serving as a dependable option for rookie quarterback Geno Smith.
"It was just wrong timing," he said, adding he enjoyed his brief time in New England. "Rob Gronkowski was there, Wes Welker was there and Aaron Hernandez was coming back real soon from injury, and it was just wrong timing.
"Right team, wrong timing."
"Is he as good as he once was? Maybe not, but he's pretty darn good."
"I think I need to be like that," he said. "Knowing myself, I have to be that way. It motivates me when guys think they're better than me. It's fun.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Kellen Winslow Jr. always believed he'd be where he is now.
Just as he did late in the game Sunday, when he connected with Winslow on a 25-yard pass that helped set up the winning field goal.
The Jets offered him a tryout in minicamp in June,Cheap Shoes Australia Free Shipping, signed him a few days later and he could end up being one of the smartest signings of the season — as long as he can stay healthy.
"It's good to have a guy like that on your side."

The one thing, though, that has stood out most to Reuland has been Winslow's desire to be what he once was.
Reuland has been impressed by Winslow's football acumen, something he thinks people might overlook. His ability to read defenses has been something Reuland has tried to pick Winslow's brain about, as well as how he "puts his own little twist on a lot of routes and blocking techniques."
He's certainly hoping the Jets are the right team at the right time.
"It's all just competition, and I like that."
"That's just the way they do things over there, I guess," he said. "But I'm back, and it's good to be back. I'm happy to be back."
"When it's clutch time and it's time to make a play,Yeezy Boost 350 Wholesale, that's what I live for, man," Winslow said. "That's what it's all about. I don't want to let these guys down, and vice versa."
Winslow played in just one game last year — one catch for New England — after being a late-summer cut by Seattle,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, a situation at which he is still bitter. He had a solid training camp with the Seahawks, but was released just before the season. Winslow said the move was over money, and he reportedly didn't want to restructure his contract.
"As soon as the name pops out, you're intrigued," Ryan said. "But then when you get here, you realize,Cheap Jerseys From China, 'Hey,Jerseys From China, this guy still has great receiving skills.' He's smart, and he's 'a warrior,' to quote hims