Trading Braylon Edwards Would Be Foolish

With Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards making his 2009 training camp debut today, the Browns officially have all their players active in Berea.

Edwards missed the first four days of training camp and all of minicamp with an undisclosed injury, but was seen running sprints across the practice field. Many were scratching their heads as to why Edwards was still riding a stationary bike on the sidelines.

Was he faking his injury to avoid practicing in the heat? Was he making a statement to the coaching staff in regards to his contract situation? Maybe head coach Eric Mangini was protecting Edwards from re-aggravating his injury so that the Browns could trade him?

All the speculation can now come to an end and it would be in the Browns’ best interest to hang onto the former Michigan Wolverine.

Why you ask?

Do you really want to go into this season with two rookies starting in Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi with possibly an unproven Brady Quinn throwing them the ball?

But wait, the Browns have Mike Furrey and David Patten.

Oh, the same Mike Furrey and David Patten who combined for 29 catches for 343 yards and a touchdown last season?

I understand Edwards led the NFL in dropped passes last season with 16 and caught only three touchdowns, but his overall numbers more than doubled both Furrey and Patten’s statistics from 2008.

He is in a contract year and will be looking for a big payday in the offseason. He is also the only receiver on the team who can stretch the field and keep opposing safeties honest.

So do you still want the Browns to trade Edwards for future draft picks?

I mean come on, give Cleveland fans a break, they already have a professional sports team that trades proven all-stars for unproven prospects. Do you really want to go through that again?

You can make the case that Edwards was not focused last season, but seriously, who on that team was? If that’s the case, Derek Anderson, Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and Kamerion Wimbley should have all been traded this offseason, because the team gave up on Romeo Crennel.

The way I look at the Edwards situation is this: If he puts up numbers similar to 2007, the Browns can franchise him and force teams to give them a first and a third round draft pick. If he plays like he did last season, they can just let him go for nothing and let Robiskie and Massaquoi become the full-time starters next season.

Seriously, spare me and the rest of the Cleveland sports fans and don’t trade Edwards for draft picks. It’s bad enough already the city is stuck with Larry Dolan and the Cleveland Indians.