Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker
Receiver Braylon Edwards' tenure with the Cleveland Browns came to an end Wednesday in a move that was long overdue. These recent allegations and his lack of production only hastened the trade to the New York Jets.
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| AP Photo/Mark Duncan | |
| The Browns have agreed to trade wide receiver Braylon Edwards to the Jets. |
Cleveland was never a good fit for Edwards. His boisterous, big-city personality often came off as too brash in such a blue-collar city. A trade to New York is an ideal landing spot for the former Browns receiver.
Edwards will be a free agent after the season and made it clear that he wouldn't return. So the winless Browns (0-4) got Jets receiver Chansi Stuckey, special-teamer Jason Trusnik and two draft picks.
Edwards was rarely happy with the Browns. In the 2005 draft, he believed the Miami Dolphins would take him with the second overall pick. But when the Dolphins selected tailback Ronnie Brown instead, leaving the Browns to select Edwards at No. 3, the receiver seemed disappointed at the prospect of coming to Cleveland (or not going to Miami).
The initial hunch was correct.
With the exception of some good moments in 2007, Edwards’ tenure in Cleveland was mostly a disappointment. He was a late arrival to training camp and later suffered a season-ending knee injury in his rookie year. He’s been among the league leaders in drops the past two seasons in addition to several off-the-field incidents that often served as distractions.
Charlie Frye's jersey on the sideline while arguing with other players.
Edwards also had a strange complex as a University of Michigan alum playing in Ohio State Buckeye country. He thought he never got a fair shot, but that was terribly overrated. Browns fans mostly were upset with Edwards’ drops and inconsistency.
The arrival of coach Eric Mangini, who is a disciplinarian, made it just a matter of time before Edwards exited Cleveland. The Browns couldn’t find the right deal in the offseason but they were able to make their second trade in six months with Mangini’s former team.
Getting a fresh start is best for Edwards and the Browns.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after three seasons covering the Cleveland Browns for the Columbus Dispatch. He also covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Cavaliers at the Dispatch. Walker grew up in Hyattsville, Md., before attending Temple University, graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in communications and mass media. He resides in the Cleveland area.