BEREA, Ohio -- Ten days after surviving a potentially fatal motorcycle crash, Kellen Winslow Jr. began repairing his NFL career.
While Winslow's return to the field for the Cleveland Browns is still in question, the tight end visited the team's headquarters to start rehab on his injured right knee Wednesday, less than 24 hours after his release from the hospital.
"He was happy to be here," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "He was in pretty good spirits."
Winslow sustained unspecified injuries in a May 1 accident when he crashed his high-powered motorcycle into a raised parking lot curb at 35 mph. The Browns are most concerned about Winslow's knee, which will be re-examined in 7-10 days when swelling subsides, team president John Collins said.
The club said Winslow did not have any surgery during his hospital stay.
Respecting the wishes of Winslow's family and abiding by privacy laws, the Browns have not disclosed any specifics of what happened to their 21-year-old star, who missed 14 games last season as a rookie with a broken leg.
However, it's clear from what the Browns are permitted to discuss that Winslow is lucky to be alive.
"He easily could have been killed," general manager Phil Savage said.
Collins said it's too early to determine if Winslow, the club's first-round pick in the 2004 draft, will play this season. But despite a public outcry from outraged Cleveland fans who would like to see the team cut Winslow for breaking his contract, the Browns have no plans to release him.
"Absolutely not," Savage said. "We need him and we want him."
GREEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green pleaded not guilty yesterday to disorderly conduct after his wife called 911 for help because she felt threatened during an argument.
Green, who wasn't in court, sent two attorneys to enter the plea for him. Green wasn't required to appear at the proceeding. Brown County Court Commissioner Lawrence Gazeley set Green's next court date for Aug. 29, with a trial to start Aug. 31.
RAVENS RELEASE BOULWARE
The Baltimore Ravens released often-injured linebacker Peter Boulware yesterday to give the team some salary cap relief.
The former Pro Bowl player missed the entire 2004 season with knee and toe injuries. He hasn't played in a game since late in the 2003 season against the Cleveland Browns, when he injured his knee. He suffered a turf toe during a November practice in 2004, and was placed on injured reserve.
Boulware's contract carried a $6 million base salary, the highest on the team, for the next four seasons. He received a $13.5 million signing bonus in 2002.
VIKINGS RB DETAINED
Vikings running back Onterrio Smith, who has a history of violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, was briefly detained by airport police last month after they found an elaborate kit used to beat drug tests.
Police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport questioned Smith on April 21 after a search of his bag discovered vials of white powder, according to a police report.
Smith told officers it was dried urine used in conjunction with a device called "The Original Whizzinator." The officer who filed the report wrote that Smith "told me that it was dried urine for making a clean urine test." In addition, he had a bottle of pills labeled "cleansing formula."
Smith told police he was taking the vials to his cousin. The police report didn't say where Smith was traveling. The Star Tribune first reported the story yesterday.
