Bucs' Winslow aims to play with 'leader' Freeman until the end

It didn't take long for Josh Freeman to win over his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates.

Quarterback Josh Freeman has emerged as the Bucs' clear-cut leader this offseason. (Kim Klement/US Presswire)

The young quarterback has taken charge during the NFL lockout by organizing his own player-only practices in Tampa. 

He made a special request of veteran tight end Kellen Winslow, who spent last offseason rehabbing in Southern California, to be present at the workouts. Winslow didn't hesitate.

"There is no question he is the leader of this football team," Winslow told The Tampa Tribune this week.

Said Winslow: "He's the dude. I'm not leaving him. If it's my decision, I'm never leaving him. I want to play with him until he retires. I wouldn't want to play with anybody else."

Freeman's daily workouts have brought in more than 30 Bucs, something coach Raheem Morris is thrilled about from a distance while forbidden from communicating with his players during the lockout.

"I'm fired up for Freeman," Morris said. "That's the type of leader we brought here and I had no doubt in my mind he would be doing that type of thing. It's not shocking to me. It's kind of expected from the standpoint of business as usual for that guy."

Freeman repeatedly brought his team back in tight games last season, throwing 25 touchdown passes and just six interceptions while guiding the Bucs to a 10-win campaign and narrowly missing the playoffs.

Five surgeries later, Bucs TE Kellen Winslow is learning to cope with his battered right knee and hoping for his best season yet. I feel as ready as I can be right now," he said. More...

Following his 2009 rookie season, Freeman made the decision to embrace his leadership role, according to The Tribune. He logged hours with Bucs coaches, watching film daily and learning the position.

"I took it upon myself to have no reason not to be a leader," Freeman said. "I wanted to take that role upon myself. You have to step in and do the work. As a leader, you have to clean up your yard before you start talking about other people's yards. I made sure to have all my stuff in order.

"I was hoping to put a good product on the field. Guys followed that. If I'm not playing good football or taking care of business, how can I be a leader? I just feel like it's my job as a quarterback to take care of business."

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Agent: Manning waiting until after season to negotiate new deal

Peyton Manning will not have a new contract until 2011.

Tom Condon, the agent for the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, told the team that he and his client will wait until the end of the season to negotiate a new deal.

Manning is in the final year of a seven-year, $99.2 million contract.

The decision removes one more distraction for Manning in what is fast becoming a challenging season. Manning's offensive weapons are quickly dropping with injuries.

The most recent hit came Friday, when the Colts announced that tight end Dallas Clark would miss the remainder of the season because of wrist surgery.

Austin Collie, the Colts' leading receiver through six weeks, also is due to miss at least two weeks following thumb surgery, and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez continues to make his way back from a high ankle sprain.

In February, Colts owner Jim Irsay said he expected to make Manning the NFL's highest-paid player. Irsay also suggested that a deal for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would provide the framework for a new deal with Manning.

Last month, the Patriots gave Brady a four-year, $72 million extension with $48.5 million guaranteed, making him the NFL's highest-paid player.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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