ESPN NFL

BEREA, Ohio -- Kellen Winslow Jr. and the Cleveland Browns are close to finalizing a one-year contract extension that will give the tight end a chance to recoup some of the money forfeited when he was injured in a motorcycle accident.

Winslow, out for the season following knee surgery, breached his original six-year, $40 million rookie contract by violating a "dangerous activities" clause when he crashed his high-powered motorcycle May 1 while practicing stunts in a parking lot.

Because of the accident, the Browns didn't pay the former first-round pick a $2 million roster bonus in July. Winslow also will not be paid a $950,000 bonus due Dec. 15.

However, because doctors have assured the team that Winslow will make a full recovery, the Browns have offered him a new deal that includes an extension through 2010 and contains performance-based incentives.

"It's never been about the money for me," Winslow said Wednesday. "But it's great that they did that because other organizations would have just left me in the trunk or let me go. But this shows their gratitude and how much they care for me."

The sides have been working on the extension since July.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft played in just two games as a rookie before breaking his leg.

He will receive a bonus if he reports to training camp next summer and passes his physical. He can earn back some of the $2 million the Browns withheld if he stays healthy and plays in a certain number of games over the next three years.

The one-year extension helps the Browns, too. As long as Winslow stays on the field and performs as the team expects, the club will get back the year it didn't have the 22-year-old player's services.

While rehabbing his knee, Winslow has been working out every day at the Browns' training facility. He's running again, and has gained back the 30 pounds he lost while battling a staph infection in his right knee.

"I'm fine. I'm done with that," Winslow said of the infection. "I got it [weight] back in like a week and half from just eating and lifting."

These days, Winslow seems at ease as he bounces around the Browns' locker room joking with teammates whom he can't wait to rejoin on the field.

Injured players aren't permitted to travel with the team, so Winslow has been forced to watch Cleveland's games on TV. He'll soon be back on the sideline at home games when trainers feel he's mobile enough to avoid being hit.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press