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Posted at 5:44 a.m., Thursday, July 26, 2007

NFL: Browns giving TE Winslow time to recover

By Patrick McManamon
Akron Beacon Journal

The Cleveland Browns will give Kellen Winslow a little more time to recover from microfracture surgery on his knee, and cornerback Gary Baxter could follow through on his promise to "be part of history."

Baxter will start training camp, which begins tomorrow, on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, but he is scheduled to come off PUP and start practicing Monday.

That would be an amazing step in Baxter's attempt to return from torn patellar tendons in both knees.

Winslow will start camp on PUP, but there seems to be little concern about his ability to play this season. The Browns do not want Winslow to wear himself out early in camp, so he will at most spend the first week of camp on PUP before joining practice.

Center LeCharles Bentley, who was cleared to play by his doctor in New York on Monday, also will probably start camp on PUP. More details on his comeback from a torn patellar tendon and staph infection will be made known Friday.

Players on Active/PUP can come off the list at any time.

Baxter tore both patellar tendons in a loss to Denver in October. Many wrote him off, but he vowed to return. In June, he was ebullient about his chances, saying he was determined to be the first player ever to come back from those severe injuries.

The fact that he could practice as soon as Monday — albeit on an individual basis — indicates that his recovery continues.

Winslow tied a team record with 89 receptions last season, but he was playing on a knee with cartilage damage. He had microfracture surgery Jan. 30; the procedure can be difficult to come back from.

Winslow did not take part in offseason practices, but he looked fit when he was at practice and had no brace on his knee.