BROWNS Winslow has second surgery, out for rest of year

Doctors discovered a sprained ligament which has been repaired.
BEREA (AP) -- Browns rookie tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. will need at least four months to make a full recovery after a second operation on his right leg.
Winslow, whose season ended abruptly when he broke his leg trying to recover an onside kick on Sept. 19, had a sprained ligament in his ankle surgically repaired on Wednesday.
Browns coach Butch Davis expects the No. 6 overall pick in this year's NFL draft to have a huge impact once he returns to the field.
"I have absolute total confidence that he'll be back and be everything we thought he could be," Davis said.
Only time will tell, but the Browns expect Winslow to be 100 percent for the start of training camp next year.
Two days after breaking his fibula, Winslow had a metal plate and screws inserted to fix the bone and the Browns were hopeful the former Miami standout would play again this season.
Found during examination
However, during a postoperative examination, team doctors discovered that Winslow's ligaments had widened and would need further surgery to heal properly.
Trainer Mike Colello said swelling and trauma in Winslow's ankle prevented doctors from detecting any problems with the ligaments during the initial surgery. Colello said the second surgery was the only guarantee Winslow would have a full recovery.
"This gives him the best opportunity to have a good, solid ankle," Colello said.
Winslow will be in a cast for two to three weeks and will then be fitted with a walking boot.
Before he needed the second surgery, which officially ended his 2004 season, the Browns' plan was to re-evaluate Winslow during the Oct. 31 bye week.
Grateful problem found
As hard as it is to lose him, Davis is grateful Winslow's damaged ligaments were addressed now.
"To be honest with you, I'm kind of glad," he said. "Because wouldn't it have been a tragedy to let it go seven, eight weeks and have him come back and play right after the open date and maybe it wouldn't have been fixed?
"Maybe sometimes as much of a disappointment as it is, maybe it's a real blessing that this way you know you're going to get him back at 100 percent."
The premature ending to Winslow's season appears to mean he will not be paid $5.3 million in bonuses. As part of his six-year, $40 million contract, Winslow had to meet one of 10 performance incentives, one being him playing in 35 percent of Cleveland's offensive plays this season.
It's not known whether there is any type of medical provision in Winslow's deal to protect him in case of a season-ending injury.
The Browns have been ravaged by injuries. Winslow will be the fifth player on injured reserve, joining defensive end Courtney Brown, linebacker Brant Boyer, linebacker Ben Taylor and offensive lineman Chad Beasley.
Winslow's injury is also the second major one suffered by a Browns rookie. Safety Sean Jones, a second-round pick expected to compete for a starting job, tore a knee ligament in July and is on the physically unable to perform list.
Although Davis said Jones' recovery is ahead of schedule and he could be back later this season, it's unlikely the club would rush his return.
Tucker, Warren out
Browns offensive tackle Ryan Tucker and defensive lineman Gerard Warren will both miss Sunday's game against Washington with injuries.
Tucker is out for the second straight week with a strained quadriceps muscle he suffered in the fourth quarter of a Sept. 19 game against Dallas.
Warren sat out last week, too. He strained a chest muscle in the second quarter of the season opener against Baltimore and irritated it a week later.
The banged-up Browns are hoping to have running back Lee Suggs and tight end Steve Heiden back against the Redskins.
Suggs has missed the first three games with a neck stinger and had his first full practice on Wednesday. Heiden has been out all year with a knee injury.