Edwards punches his way out?

Braylon Edwards got what he wanted.

Now watch him go wild in New York.

You will sit there and say he dropped a ton of passes in Cleveland. You will say he wasn't worth being a first-round pick.

But what you didn't know was this: Edwards hated Cleveland. And it showed.

As a league source said, "He popped that 130-pound kid and got what he wanted, a ticket out of there."

That reference is to Edwards hitting a friend of LeBron James' in a nightclub incident Sunday night. That incident is being looked at by the league office and you know it had to irritate new Browns coach Eric Mangini, who tolerates nothing of the sort.

Edwards is in the final year of his contract and has only 10 catches and no touchdowns playing in a bad offense. Poor quarterback play has hurt his ability the past couple of years, but he's also been a part of the problem.

As league scouts have told me, "His problem is from the neck up." He lets things bother him, they say.

But here's a bet that he flourishes with the Jets. I saw the Jets last week against the Saints and one thing that was obvious was that the Jets needed help outside.

Jerricho Cotchery is a complementary player, not a No. 1 receiver like the Jets had hoped. Edwards can be that top-notch player, if he's focused. Cotchery will be a good No. 2.

Edwards leaves behind Mangini for Rex Ryan, which some say is going from evil to good. He goes from Cleveland to New York, which is the path some have rumored for LeBron James, in a potential twist. He's now on a contender; the Browns are 0-4.

But you have to somewhat understand the Browns side of it. They are going nowhere this season and Edwards isn't going to change things. So they get a young receiver in Chansi Stuckey, who actually has one more catch and one more touchdown than Edwards. And they get draft picks.

For a building team, it's a good move.

For Edwards, it's a great move.

For the Jets, it's a fantastic move.

Edwards should be a happy man. And a happy Edwards caught 80 passes with 16 touchdowns in 2007. That's the kind of production he's capable of giving when he's on his game.

Does he drop passes? You bet. Does he get open? Absolutely.

That's what the Jets need, someone to stretch a field. He may have punched his ticket out of Cleveland, but if that was the intention, consider it mission accomplished.

Hey Pete! What you smokin' over there??? You really think that this leopard is gonna change spots just cause he's "out of Cleveland"? Say what you want about the level of overall performance of the Browns last year and this, but Edwards is a huge part of this. When the chips are down, BIG timeplayers step up to lead a team and help their team over come. Yeah, The Browns had way too much to overcome last year for ANY one player to change this it but everyone got to see what Braylon chose to do, mope and complain and have the worst year of his career.
Did you happen to notice that the best offensive performance this year by the Browns came when Edwards was used pretty much as a decoy? That was with Anderson as the starting quarteback who by all reports has the best working relationship with Braylon. Hell, it probably helped Anderson to be benched the first two and a half games of the season to really get a good look at what Braylon was all about. I'm nat saying that Anderson is fabulous NFL quarterback, but both of these guys owe a lot to each other as their best season came at the same time and both helped each other out that year.
I agree with in that for the Browns, it's a good move. Regardless of who and what they got for Edwards, a team with as many holes and issues that Cleveland has does not need the daily headache that Braylon forces on them. The Browns just got a very large and painful tumor removed from their posterior and the team must be feeling a lot of relief. Combine that with the general morale of the team following their best performance of the season and I think the Browns will move upward from this and could continue to be competative team this year.
For Edwards, it was a move. Not a great move as you have stated, just a move. The BIG thing that Edwards has to realize now is that he has removed his "excuses" for why he has performed so horribly. He is out of Cleveland where he claims that he can't get love because he's a University of Michigan guy! What the heck kind of reasoning is that? The league scouts are dead on when they say Braylon's problems are all "from the neck up" and that includes his really bad case of the dropsies. The man has incredible talent and has hardly a shred of self control and mental fortitude. Good luck Braylon. As a Browns fan, I really enjoyed the 2007 season and I have been pulling for you to "get it" ever since. With his "built-in excuse" now gone, Edwards now has to do something that he has not done since 2007, man up and take responsibility for his actions on and off the field. Good luck with that.
For the Jets, it's a puzzling move. It may work for one reason alone, opposing defenses still have to be careful about Edwards due to his skill set alone which should allow the second and third receivers more room to get thier job done. But to add a head case as big as this is kind of odd move for a team in what appears to be playoff season. As stated by other posters, did it work out all that well with Dallas and Roy Williams. I could easily see a repeat of that. Worse yet, Edwards gets sucked into the New York City night life and he may dissapear from the NFL altogether given the stance the Goodell has set forth. I like the Jets, they're not "my" team but I like what they have done and I thought that their draft day trade with the Browns was agood one. This one... well, maybe the leopard does change his spots and learns to focus his mind on business and this takes off and helps the Jets drive right into the playoffs. Stranger things have happened before, but I wouldn't count on it. Good luck New York!

thethrill009 Reputation: 76 Level: Pro Since: Nov 23, 2008	Posted on: October 7, 2009 10:10 am Score: -100 This comment has been removed. Post Deleted by Administrator
broncos6482 Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 10, 2006	Posted on: October 7, 2009 10:22 am Score: 99 Edwards punches his way out? Wasn't about the same thing said last year when the Lions traded Roy Williams to the Cowboys? A really talented receiver on a bad team with a terrible quarterback, who was then traded to a playoff contender and would certainly get his act together and start performing at a pro-bowl level. How did that one work out for the Cowboys again? My guess is that Edwards has about the same effect in NY that Williams has had in Dallas, which isn't much, and isn't worth what the Jets gave up. [ Reply to Comment ]
teacher317b Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 26, 2008	Posted on: October 7, 2009 10:25 am Score: 66 Edwards punches his way out? He also spelled "absolutely" (not "-ley") wrong. Apparently, neither the writers, nor the editors, nor their writing software, actually bother with proper English. [ Reply to Comment ]
GoDropkicks Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 23, 2008	Posted on: October 7, 2009 10:31 am Score: 91 Edwards punches his way out? Did it leave a mess when he punched? When I punch it's like the walls are getting a fresh coat of paint. I always figured that a guy that punched a lot would be a better receiver due to the sticky hands. Is natural stickum illegal in the NFL? Was he thinking about LeBron when he punched? There are more questions than answes here. [ Reply to Comment ]
sisyphus2112 Reputation: 0 Level: Amateur Since: Oct 7, 2009	Posted on: October 7, 2009 10:34 am Score: -10 Edwards punches his way out? He lets things bother him. they say. Great grammar and punctuation. Ever heard of spellcheck?? [ Reply to Comment ]
Peyton+Marvin=W Reputation: 93 Level: All-Star Since: Nov 4, 2006	Posted on: October 7, 2009 11:01 am Score: 118 Edwards punches his way out? http://morningglory2.files.wordpres s.com/2006/04/grammarpolice.jpg Watch out Prisco, here comes the grammar police! Seriously, why take the time to look for and correct the man's spelling and grammar instead of actually commenting on his story. Hes bringing you news and his opinion on it, and all you guys have to say is "but yoo spelt dat werd rong >=(" If it reall bothers you that much, go read something else, cut the guy some slack. I have never seen a sports writer get as much crap from sports "fans" as Pete Prisco, and yet he keeps on writing. I respect that Pete, keep up the good work. [ Reply to Comment ]
MattNAHat Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 1, 2007	Posted on: October 7, 2009 11:01 am Score: 141 Edwards punches his way out? Hey Pete! What you smokin' over there??? You really think that this leopard is gonna change spots just cause he's "out of Cleveland"? Say what you want about the level of overall performance of the Browns last year and this, but Edwards is a huge part of this. When the chips are down, BIG timeplayers step up to lead a team and help their team over come. Yeah, The Browns had way too much to overcome last year for ANY one player to change this it but everyone got to see what Braylon chose to do, mope and complain and have the worst year of his career. Did you happen to notice that the best offensive performance this year by the Browns came when Edwards was used pretty much as a decoy? That was with Anderson as the starting quarteback who by all reports has the best working relationship with Braylon. Hell, it probably helped Anderson to be benched the first two and a half games of the season to really get a good look at what Braylon was all about. I'm nat saying that Anderson is fabulous NFL quarterback, but both of these guys owe a lot to each other as their best season came at the same time and both helped each other out that year. I agree with in that for the Browns, it's a good move. Regardless of who and what they got for Edwards, a team with as many holes and issues that Cleveland has does not need the daily headache that Braylon forces on them. The Browns just got a very large and painful tumor removed from their posterior and the team must be feeling a lot of relief. Combine that with the general morale of the team following their best performance of the season and I think the Browns will move upward from this and could continue to be competative team this year. For Edwards, it was a move. Not a great move as you have stated, just a move. The BIG thing that Edwards has to realize now is that he has removed his "excuses" for why he has performed so horribly. He is out of Cleveland where he claims that he can't get love because he's a University of Michigan guy! What the heck kind of reasoning is that? The league scouts are dead on when they say Braylon's problems are all "from the neck up" and that includes his really bad case of the dropsies. The man has incredible talent and has hardly a shred of self control and mental fortitude. Good luck Braylon. As a Browns fan, I really enjoyed the 2007 season and I have been pulling for you to "get it" ever since. With his "built-in excuse" now gone, Edwards now has to do something that he has not done since 2007, man up and take responsibility for his actions on and off the field. Good luck with that. For the Jets, it's a puzzling move. It may work for one reason alone, opposing defenses still have to be careful about Edwards due to his skill set alone which should allow the second and third receivers more room to get thier job done. But to add a head case as big as this is kind of odd move for a team in what appears to be playoff season. As stated by other posters, did it work out all that well with Dallas and Roy Williams. I could easily see a repeat of that. Worse yet, Edwards gets sucked into the New York City night life and he may dissapear from the NFL altogether given the stance the Goodell has set forth. I like the Jets, they're not "my" team but I like what they have done and I thought that their draft day trade with the Browns was agood one. This one... well, maybe the leopard does change his spots and learns to focus his mind on business and this takes off and helps the Jets drive right into the playoffs. Stranger things have happened before, but I wouldn't count on it. Good luck New York! [ Reply to Comment ]
olyinwis14 Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Dec 14, 2006	Posted on: October 7, 2009 11:08 am Score: 55 Edwards punches his way out? you're a real tough guy online, aren't you? You probably look like Stewy in Family Guy [ Reply to Comment ]
TipsyMcStagger Reputation: 87 Level: All-Star Since: Sep 6, 2009	Posted on: October 7, 2009 11:18 am Score: 115 Edwards punches his way out? Somewhat similar scenarios, but Roy Williams was traded later in the season and had less time to mesh with the offense, not too mention he was brought in as a 3rd option after Owens and Witten. Williams was really intended to be a long term replacement for Owens, but so far injuries and inconsistent QB play have hurt him this year. Still too early to call the deal a mistake, atlhough considering the Cowboys paid a pretty significant price for him, that criticism is certainly warranted as of now. In the Jets case, depending on the draft picks, they may have just gotten Edwards at a price low enough to justify the risk. With opposing offenses stacking the D versus the run and doubling Cotchery, Edwards has a chance to make an impact beyond statistics just by drawing attention. Drops or not, he does have the ability to get open and get down field, and teams will have to account for them in their gameplan, which was not necessarily the case with Stuckey. [ Reply to Comment ]
chitownsouthsid Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Mar 17, 2009	Posted on: October 7, 2009 11:23 am Score: 118 Edwards punches his way out? Jerricho Cotchery is a complimentary player, not a No. 1 receiver like the Jets had hoped I disagree with Mr. Prisco's assessment of Jericho Cotchery as a "complimentary player" I would like to know what information he used to come to this conclusion. Furthermore, he uses this conclusion as key reasoning as to why the Jets acquired Edwards. Thus, implying that the Jets were not satisfied with Cotchery's performance as the number one receiver this year. Jericho Cotchery currently ranks fourth amongst NFL receivers in receiving yards, averaging just over 15 yards per catch. This is a pretty impressive statistic considering Cotchery has a rookie quarterback throwing to him and the Jets are primarily a defense and running team. Sanchez has not even thrown for 300 yards yet. Plus, having watched the Jets play this year, Cotchery has made some very difficult grabs and key third-down catches to help his young quarteback. Rather than labeling Cotchery as a complimentary player, Mr. Prisco would have been more accurate stating that Cotchery is not a field stretcher. As good as he's been, Cotchery does most of his work over the middle and fifteen-to-twenty yards down field. He is not a legitimate down-field threat. Thus, teams have been able to keep more defenders close to the line of scrimage which hurts the running game and the short passing game. Edwards should be able to help the Jets stretch the field as deep routes are what he does best and Sanchez definitely has the arm to get it to him. Once Sanchez and Edwards connect on a few deep plays, defenses will have to back off some and the running and short-passing games will improve greatly. However, make no mistake about it, it will be Jericho Cotchery who Mark Sachez looks to for that big third-down catch and who will still catch the most balls. In my opinion, anyone who has watched the Jets play this year should understand why Cotchery has earned that respect. [ Reply to Comment ]

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