Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Braylon Goes to the Big Apple

Oct. 7, 2009
By Anthony Tripicchio

Desperate for an offensive game breaker, the Jets finally landed one.

Braylon Edwards' arrival fills the void that was so readily apparent in the receiving corps. Now, the Jets have a legitimate threat opposite Jerricho Cotchery and someone who can divert attention from TE Dustin Keller.

Opposing safeties won’t be so quick to stack the box against Gang Green either anymore, which should do wonders for the beleaguered running game.

Mike Tannenbaum never shies away from making a big splash and should be commended for the acquisition of Edwards. The fact that he had the cap room to be able to execute a deal of this magnitude in-season without sacrificing any big pieces is testament to his shrewd ways.

LB Jason Trusnick, a valued special teams’ contributor, will be missed but as one of the principle parts required to secure a player of Edwards stature, no one can quibble with his inclusion.

Chansi Stuckey will never be anything more than a slot receiver and proved as much by routinely performing disappearing acts in games this season as a starter.

The draft picks, rumored to be a third and a fifth rounder, are wildcards.

Put it in perspective: the Jets once gave up a second round pick for Justin McCareins. Absolve Tannenbaum of all blame for that blunder as it was former GM Terry Bradway who orchestrated that masterpiece.

Make no mistake, Edwards does come with baggage. The Jets can only hope that he pays the extra fees to check it at the door. Edwards was chastised for speeding last year and recently was involved in an altercation with a member of LeBron James’ entourage at a Cleveland nightclub.

The latest mishap could have ramifications on the Jets if the league decides to impose a suspension upon Edwards. Evidently, Tannenbaum wasn’t overly concerned with that possibility.

In an effort to explain Edwards’ subpar season in 2008 and his nondescript 2009 thus far, look no further than the circumstances around him. Cleveland is one of the league’s laughingstocks and it is easy to recognize how a star could become disenchanted there.

Attribute many of his alarming number of drops last season to concentration lapses. Lapses that Tannenbaum bets will dissipate once Edwards is surrounded by a winning team for the second time in his life.

The only winning team Edwards has ever been a part of was, not coincidently, in his career year of 2007. Certainly, there is reason to believe he will flourish once more in his new digs.

Beyond providing rookie QB Mark Sanchez with another weapon, the deal opens the door for WR David Clowney to take hold of the third receiver spot. Beaten out for the No. 2 receiver spot by Stuckey, Clowney has yet to make a significant impact this year.

Both the pressure and the spotlight are off of the third-year player now as expectations have been adjusted. Clowney’s speed is an asset which has yet to be utilized outside of the preseason and for him to be known as something different than Mr. August, that will have to change.

All in all, the AFC East just got a lot more interesting.

2 comments:

TheRealestDan said...

I don't see what all of the excitement is about. I can't wait for the cursing that ensues when Braylon starts dropping multiple Sanchize passes a game. You just traded for the 2007 reputation of who Braylon is, however, only the real deal is going to show up leaving NY disappointed.

No worries though, the Braylon disappointment shall pale in comparison to what happens when the Knicks find out that no one city is big enough for both Braylon and Lebron. Too bad Braylon got here first. 'The Mangenius Strikes Back' could easily be the back headline in the Post.

I'll leave you with this tidbit: The Jets and their newfound commitment to winning add Braylon Edwards and his commitment to Braylon Edwards.

Enjoy.

Anthony said...

He's the football equivalent of AJ Burnett: A classic underachiever who seeks the spotlight to realize his full potential. He's bored and tired of the losing in Cleveland. Now he comes to a legit contender.

The guy will be a huge addition to this team. Even if he's the Braylon you believe he is, the risk is minimal considering what they're giving up. Not to mention the fact that he's a free agent at the end of the year anyway so if he's a nightmare (which he won't be) they can let him walk.

I challenge you to find a glaring weakness with the Jets current roster.

Unfortunately for you, the Dolphins will be the first victim to see the team at full strength.

By the way, The Newark Star Ledger reported it wasn't Braylon who punched LeBron's boy. Allegedly, it was someone in his entourage.