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Cleveland Browns should have traded Braylon Edwards before the draft


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Cleveland Browns should have traded Braylon Edwards before the draft

By Mary Kay Cabot

October 07, 2009, 9:24AM

 

 

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns should have traded Braylon Edwards to the New York Giants when they had the chance before the draft. I know it's easy to say that now, but I actually wrote it before the draft. It was my first item in "Four Things I Think About the Draft.''

 

 

Here's what it said:

 

1. Trade Team B: The Browns should trade Braylon Edwards, even if they can only get a No. 2, No. 5 and a young prospect such as Domenik Hixon or Mario Manningham from the Giants. If they can secure the Giants' first pick in the second round -- the 45th overall -- they'd have four picks in the top 50 and could transform the team with those players. At No. 45, they'd probably still be able to land a top-notch receiver or another immediate starter. Edwards needs a change of scenery and he's heading into the final year of his deal. The Browns might as well get something for him while they can.

 

I'm told the Browns were planning to trade Edwards until fellow receiver Donte Stallworth drove drunk and killed a pedestrian, ultimately ending his season.

 

But Eric Mangini hanging on to Edwards was a huge mistake from the start, and I knew there was no way this could have a happy ending. Here are some of the reasons why:

 

1. Edwards does not fit Mangini's profile of a guy who's all about football. In a game last year against the Texans, Edwards asked Texans safety Will Demps BETWEEN PLAYS how to get into modeling and acting. Demps admitted this in an ESPN The Magazine article.

 

2. He didn't want to be here. It was obvious Edwards couldn't wait to get out of Cleveland. Even Kellen Winslow told folks Edwards wanted to go to New York. Hey why not? It's easier to get into modeling and acting there.

 

3. Edwards was more trouble than he was worth. Coaches always talk about the 5% of players who take up 95% of their time. Edwards was one of those guys. Helicopter rides, late for team meetings, not showing up for team meetings because he was out too late the night before, running around without his shoes on and getting gashed, partying with Donte Stallworth the night he killed a pedestrian, driving 120 mph with a passenger vomiting in the car, a sideline tirade with Charlie Frye, the fight with LeBron's friends .... and those are the things we know about it.

 

 

4. Edwards is often a liability on the field. He doesn't run precise routes, too many intercepted passes were intended for him and he drops too many balls.

 

Too bad Mangini didn't figure these things out sooner -- but he should have. And the Browns should have gotten at least a second-round pick for Edwards.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/...ed_braylon.html

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Guest ATENEARS

Easier said than done ... were those actual offers on the table?

 

We were heading into this season after trading Winslow, Joe J retiring, Stallworth facing manslaughter charges and two rookie receivers.

 

Plus we were looking to give Brady Quinn a chance to prove himself.

 

I don't think that was an idea time to be trading away your #1.

 

It all worked out ... could-of, should-of, would-of ... Ii suppose we should have traded Quinn too, huh?

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Mangini has taken heat for a lot of things but this is not something he should be blamed for. How should Mangini know how BE behaves ? He has nvr worked with him. Also why should Mangini care if BE wants to model or party ? BE did not get into fights like this in the bar till yesterday. Who knows if BE did not get into the fight then maybe he might not have been traded at all .... One cant blame Mangini for things he did not know esp when he is taking over new a team with little offensive talent and more rookies that need training.

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Easier said than done ... were those actual offers on the table?

 

We were heading into this season after trading Winslow, Joe J retiring, Stallworth facing manslaughter charges and two rookie receivers.

 

Plus we were looking to give Brady Quinn a chance to prove himself.

 

I don't think that was an idea time to be trading away your #1.

 

It all worked out ... could-of, should-of, would-of ... Ii suppose we should have traded Quinn too, huh?

Well, yes, in hindsight, we should have. Or traded DA. Either would have been better than what happened.

 

But, hey, fixing mistakes is a sign of GOOD leadership, not bad leadership. If playing BQ from the beginning was a mistake, then fixing it was a GOOD decision. If keeping BE was a mistake, then trading him now is a GOOD decision.

 

Next bad decision we need to fix: starting Jamal just because he used to be good.

 

Time to become The Bus, Jamal!

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Easier said than done ... were those actual offers on the table?

 

We were heading into this season after trading Winslow, Joe J retiring, Stallworth facing manslaughter charges and two rookie receivers.

 

Plus we were looking to give Brady Quinn a chance to prove himself.

 

I don't think that was an idea time to be trading away your #1.

 

It all worked out ... could-of, should-of, would-of ... Ii suppose we should have traded Quinn too, huh?

EXACTLY!

 

She's a fooking moron. Yeah MK, lets try Quinn out at QB with no WR's. Idiota.

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Mary Kay ladies and gentlemen!!!! (enter applause here)

 

 

Doing her best to tell us what we all ready know!

 

I agree. Almost didn't click Submit Post as there wasn't really anything insightful.

 

The national media would have had us for lunch if we would have given the Jets Sanchez and Edwards in the same spring.

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Mangini has taken heat for a lot of things but this is not something he should be blamed for. How should Mangini know how BE behaves ? He has nvr worked with him. Also why should Mangini care if BE wants to model or party ? BE did not get into fights like this in the bar till yesterday. Who knows if BE did not get into the fight then maybe he might not have been traded at all .... One cant blame Mangini for things he did not know esp when he is taking over new a team with little offensive talent and more rookies that need training.

 

 

 

There's only one person to blame for this and that's BE. What the hell was he thinking? He could throw a punch and he's looking at an unsportsmanlike conduct? 15 yds, worst case scenario?

 

Take it from someone who's been there.... when you have a bad attitude that is quickly morphing into an "I don't give a $h*t" attitude..... trouble is just around the corner.

 

When you are looking for trouble, you're going to find it. trust me!

 

BE didn't care. We are a bad team that is working hard to build. This season is a wash. BE was simply doing his time. He knew he was not going to be here next year. The man is human. He had no motivation.

 

Contract year.... I don't think he cared. I think he felt his name alone was enough to get him the contract he wanted. He wouldn't be held accountable for poor numbers this season, not with a qb controversy, not with playing on a team lacking other receivers, not on a team with a mediocre running game.

 

BE had convinced himself all he had to do was bide his time. Didn't matter what he did on the field. That morphed into it didn't matter what he did off the field.

 

It's a sad story, truly. Tons of talent and ability. Wrong outlook. Personally, I'm glad it's over.

 

I'm reminded of the SI cover with Albert Belle on the cover. Simply said ......"TICK, TICK, TICK"

 

I can see the same cover with BE on the cover.

 

Hopefully for him.... this is the worst problem he makes for himself. I don't wish ill on the man. I just won't be surprised if 10 years from now we're reminiscing about "BE, the bust."

 

 

 

 

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Guest ATENEARS

Let's also remember, besides that Winslow, Joe J, and Stallworth were all gone, that Braylon was in a contract year and expected to have a HUGE season and get back to 2007 form. This would have bode well with Brady Quinn's development as well as opening up things for the Pair of Rookie receivers and breaking-in Josh Cribbs at receiver.

 

No, trading him before the season would have been a negative in the fans eyes, trading him NOW after an 0-4 start and with Braylon off to a horrible start, was a GREAT move.

 

Add in MoMass big game from Sunday and the thirst to see Robiskie in the line-up and you can almost hear the OSU fight song in the back-ground as Braylons locker is cleaned and pitched out the back door (where Lebron and his boys just happen to be hanging out in the alley).

 

C-ya Michigan fag!

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I think she has a point.

 

If we'd have traded BE prior to the season for maximum value (again, this presumes a deal could have been made in preseason that would have garnered more than the Jets deal) we would have:

 

- not had any possible illusions as fans about this year (i.e., we're rebuilding)

- have another 2nd round pick on the roster NOW

- avoided the overhead of caring for BE including this most recent series of events

 

I'm not gnashing my teeth over it, but in retrospect having BE for four games this year gave us what? 4 losses. We could have done that pretty well without him.

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Sabrina on the rizzo show right now saying BE was basically the instigator at the club.

 

BE was there with his agent. At closing, outside....

 

BE inserted himself into a conversation that did not include him, nor was it about him.

 

He started telling Givens he was nothing without LBJ, etc.

 

Givens said screw you, etc.

 

BE reached over somebody in order to punch Givens.

 

 

All allegedly obviously.....

Sabrina admits she may have missed something, or not seen exactly what happened...

 

Says, BE connected. Givens did not swing back. Police quickly separated the group. Apparently they know to be at the club at closing just in case.

 

In the club, before the incident, she spoke with BE.... claims while talking about the team, BE was upset. Said he had no room for improvement. The coaching staff needed to be re-evaluated. Complained about only getting 4 balls thrown his way....

 

Sabrina told him if he had four balls thrown his way he should catch all four and maybe he would get a fifth!!!! lol!!!

 

Claims BE said he was a wideout, they need to learn to get him the ball. He's not diving for the ball.

 

 

Basically blames everyone else.

 

Kinda goes along with what I just posted about his state of mind.

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What's interesting to me about this is she came OUT ON THE AIR and said this.

 

I don't know how credible she is as a witness, or if it happened exactly as she said, but I can't think of any other time someone came on the air and spilled something like this. I'm sure they were talking with their lawyers before they let her say this stuff. I know it's dangerous to take one persons word for it, but if somebody backs up her story...... If BE isn't charged with anything, he will be a lucky man.

 

Shame. BE had every opportunity to step up and be a leader.

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Easier said than done ... were those actual offers on the table?

 

We were heading into this season after trading Winslow, Joe J retiring, Stallworth facing manslaughter charges and two rookie receivers.

 

Plus we were looking to give Brady Quinn a chance to prove himself.

 

I don't think that was an idea time to be trading away your #1.

 

It all worked out ... could-of, should-of, would-of ... Ii suppose we should have traded Quinn too, huh?

 

I agree with you 100% on this one. Mary Kay is great at second guessing.

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If Mario Manningham was actually on the table, then yeah, CLE really should have made the move before the draft. Stucky is not Manningham

 

It's only rumor that either Hixon or Manningham were on the table. Could be that's what the Browns might have been asking for. Rumor also was that if it included a player then the offer dropped to a #3 and #5 and those are low in the round. But, you really never know if there was a serious offer.

 

I think we got great value for him now. Especially since he is in the last year of his contract.

 

I love the fact that it isn't bothering DA. In fact he seems happy. Sort of like when they told Romo that TO was traded.

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Guest Masters
It's only rumor that either Hixon or Manningham were on the table. Could be that's what the Browns might have been asking for. Rumor also was that if it included a player then the offer dropped to a #3 and #5 and those are low in the round. But, you really never know if there was a serious offer.

 

I think we got great value for him now. Especially since he is in the last year of his contract.

 

I love the fact that it isn't bothering DA. In fact he seems happy. Sort of like when they told Romo that TO was traded.

 

As I said, IF CLE truly could have had Manningham and picks for BE, they blew it by passing on that. It was better value than what CLE just got now.

 

It's only great value if the picks CLE gets from the Jets turn into players that significantly contribute.

 

While TO is a tool, DAL and Romo offensively aren't looking all the great w/o him (not that BUF is looking great w/ him).

 

We'll see how DA fairs w/o Edwards presense on the outside. He may not remain happy about the loss of BE. Any QB who can't manage the egos in the huddle is not long for the roll of starting NFL QB.

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Guest ATENEARS
Any QB who can't manage the egos in the huddle is not long for the roll of starting NFL QB.

 

What makes you think DA couldn't manage Braylon's ego? He didn't cave-in and throw it to him did he?

 

In fact, it seems that Brady Quinn had goo-goo eyes for ole Braylon, may be evidence that 'he' couldn't manage the ego!

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Guest Masters
What makes you think he couldn't manage Braylon's ego? He didn't cave-in and throw it to him did he?

 

That was to the whole notion I have seen in a few posts that removing his yapping and Winslow's yapping in the huddle will make DA a better QB, and make it his team by their removal.

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could of would have should have.... assumption on details that are not known on a possible trade nothing in writing.... hindsight 20 20 blah blah blah...

 

No true experienced reciever on staff at the beginning of the season besides braylon, stallworth gone.... kw gone, no known targets, jamal kind of old.... a QB derby.... lots of other player turn over...

 

awful hard for any coach walking in to that situation to make a decision....

 

I dont care really... he is gone.. we got something, he did squat in 4 games except drop more balls..... he is a prima donna if i have ever seen one definately not a team guy.... good riddance.

 

I hope he does well in NY that way IF the rumour is true we move up and get a 2nd round guy that will be much easier on our salary cap anyways.... Buy Bye.... (insert any michigan derogatory statement)

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