George

Winn

Winn was Mel Kiper Jr.'s “No. 1 sleeper running back,” but made it just 17 days on the roster. Although it’s never good news for an undrafted rookie to get waived this early in the offseason, it could be more an indication of the Texans’ running back depth than an indictment of Winn’s skill. That being said, Winn’s 4.75 speed is a major detriment. He’ll look to latch on elsewhere as a camp body.

An undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, Winn initially signed with the Texans but was waived immediately after rookie minicamp. In New England, Winn will be a camp body as No. 3 tailback Brandon Bolden nurses a foot ailment.

Winn (5-foot-10 1/2, 218) was pegged as Mel Kiper’s No. 1 sleeper running back. Used sparingly his first three years, Winn broke out as a senior Bearcat to rush for 1,334 yards and 13 scores on 243 carries (5.49 YPC). He only had 19 career catches and ran 4.75 at the Combine with a similarly slow 1.61 ten-yard split. Isaiah Pead’s successor at Cincinnati, Winn’s lack of explosive run skills may ensure he maxes out as no better than a No. 3 or low-end No. 2 NFL back. He’ll compete with fellows UDFA running backs Cierre Wood, Ray Graham, and Dennis Johnson in Houston.

A Mel Kiper special coming out of Cincinnati this year, Winn has now been cut by the Texans and Patriots in a four-month span. He rushed 14 times for 59 yards with one touchdown in the preseason.

Winn lost out to impressive rookie Dwayne Washington. Winn never showed promise as a runner, but he did provide steady special teams play in Detroit.

Winn didn’t make the Lions out of camp last summer, but spent time on the practice squads of the Lions and Giants. He doesn’t bring much on offense, though Winn was a key special teams member in Detroit in 2014-2015. He’s a long shot in Indy.

Zenner’s dominant FCS career and crazy measurables made him a favorite of #DraftTwitter. But he landed in a tough spot, as Joique Bell, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick are all roster locks. Rothstein says if the Lions end up keeping four tailbacks, George Winn would be ahead of Zenner thanks to special teams value. That would leave Zenner as a practice squad candidate.

A 2013 undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, Winn had cups of coffee with the Patriots and Texans last offseason. He spent time on the Cowboys, Raiders, and Steelers’ practice squads, but failed to earn a futures contract after the season. Winn will be a major roster long shot with Detroit.

Zenner didn’t get any action until Ameer Abdullah was done shredding the Jets. But he outplayed George Winn (five carries, three yards) and was a clock-killer down the stretch. Zenner, a favorite of the Draftnik community and a SPARQ stud, has NFL ability and should remain stashed on deep Dynasty benches. Most impressively, he had three textbook blitz pickups on Thursday night.

Winn got a little run with Joique Bell out during the preseason, carrying the rock 17 times for 69 yards. He had little chance of beating out SPARQ legend Zach Zenner for the No. 4 spot behind Bell, Ameer Abdullah and passing-down back Theo Riddick.