BEREA, Ohio - Kellen Winslow Jr. ended his second holdout Friday.
Winslow, who missed 12 days of training camp while trying to work out a contract with the Browns, spoke to reporters for the first time in more than three weeks as he prepared for his debut against Baltimore.
"Hey," tight end Aaron Shea said as Winslow was surrounded at his locker. "He speaks."
The tight end with a Hall of Fame father has yet to catch a regular-season pass, but he's already tabbed for greatness.
"He's the best tight end in the history of the NFL," declared tackle Ross Verba. "I'm serious. Who's better than him? Don't even say (Mark) Bavaro."
Tony Gonzalez?
"Gonzalez is good, but this guy is in a different world," Verba said. "There is no sense in hiding it."
The Browns seemed to do just that during the exhibition season as Winslow caught only three passes. But watch him during practice, and the chiseled 6-foot-4, 250-pounder who didn't play football until he was 14 appears to be the best player on the field.
"It's an honor," Winslow said when told of Verba's comments. "I have been taught by the best. My dad, (Jeremy) Shockey and Tony Gonzalez have all helped me, but I have a long way to go. It's my first game."
Winslow will face a Ravens defense led by Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis, who already has promised to flatten him.
"Why wouldn't I?" Lewis said. "Anybody who puts on a different color uniform I'm looking to hit. He's nothing special."
Winslow is aware of Lewis' intentions, but he's not frightened.
"He's a really great player, but he has to worry about all 11 guys, not just me," Winslow said.
Besides, Winslow has other worries.
"My head is spinning a little bit," he said. "But I am just taking it slow. I'm comfortable with what I have to do. I'm just not comfortable with what everyone else has to do yet."
In other news, Browns running back Lee Suggs missed practice, leaving him doubtful for Sunday. Bothered by a neck stinger for more than a week, Suggs didn't even bring a helmet with him to the practice field. Coach Butch Davis said Suggs had improved and isn't ruling him out.
CHARGERS: Wide receiver Tim Dwight is expected to miss the opener at Houston because of a hamstring injury. He missed seven games last season, six with a partially collapsed lung and one with a knee injury.
COLTS: Safety Mike Doss is expected to miss at least three weeks with a pulled hamstring. Doss pulled up lame during a punt return in Thursday's 27-24 season-opening loss at New England. He was taken from the sideline to the locker room on a golf cart.
Backup Anthony Floyd replaced Doss for most of Thursday's game, but the Colts are thin in the secondary, where injuries have hit hard. Without Doss, the Colts have just three other safeties on the active roster, Floyd, Idrees Bashir and Cory Bird, who was inactive Thursday with a concussion.
RAVENS: Jonathan Ogden missed practice, increasing the probability the Pro Bowl tackle will be out of the opener at Cleveland. Ogden has not practiced since spraining his left knee in the preseason finale last week against the Giants. Asked if his knee needed to improve drastically for him to play, Ogden said, "Yeah, it would. Stranger things have happened. But it would have to be something pretty substantial. We'll see what happens."
Ethan Brooks will start if Ogden can't. Ogden has not missed a game since 2000. Coach Brian Billick, who usually wants all of his players who will be active to practice the Friday before a game, said he will be more lenient where Ogden is concerned. "Seven-time Pro Bowler, you are going to get some leeway," he said.
Nose tackle Kelly Gregg (knee) and linebacker Adalius Thomas (knee) are also questionable, but both practiced.
TEXANS: Fullback Moran Norris aggravated a shoulder injury and is questionable for the opener against the Chargers. Jonathan Wells is the emergency fullback.
