At This Point, Maybe Braylon Edwards Should Be Traded

This is probably the article I will hate writing the most. Being from Michigan, Braylon Edwards made some exciting plays for the Maize and Blue. He really was fun to watch in college. For that reason I have always been a fan.

In the NFL, he has certainly shown that he is capable of performing at a Pro Bowl level. However, he is notorious for dropping passes. He also is known to take plays off and not fight for balls. As much as it pains me to admit, this preseason he has shown no indication that that will change.

At the end of the day, you really have to question whether or not his positives outweigh his negatives. It does make you wonder how good it is for the team. If Eric Mangini decides to go with Brady Quinn, he has to consider if Edwards' inconsistency will be good for the development of his young quarterback.

So maybe a fresh start is what Edwards really needs.

Another thing to consider is that the Browns' new regime really wants to build a running game. That was evident with some of the conservative play calling in the Detroit game. I am not criticizing Brian Daboll for conservative calls. There is a time to be conservative, especially when you have a young quarterback.

The only problem is that the Browns still don't have the right personnel for that kind of offense. Jamal Lewis is definitely a little long in the tooth. The other runners are Jerome Harrison and James Davis. They certainly have potential but still are not established NFL runners.

This type of offense really does not feature wide receivers, especially not ones with big play capability. Why not shop Edwards around for an established NFL runner? Looking around the league, there are a couple that immediately come to mind. One is Oakland's Michael Bush, who will get minimal carries behind Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas.

Now I do think Edwards is worth more than Bush so the Raiders would probably have to give a little more.

Another possibility would be Chester Taylor in Minnesota. He will get hardly any carries behind Adrian Peterson but can be a valuable asset in Cleveland. Edwards would be another target for Favre and should fit in nicely.

Edwards for Taylor straight up could work. Another possibility would for it to be a package deal that would also involve acquiring Sage Rosenfels. The Vikings would in return get either Anderson or Quinn. That would be good because now the Browns have an established back up quarterback if the starter goes down. The controversy is over.

The Vikings would then have a guy who can back up for a year and then take over next year. Then they don't look like they are putting all their eggs in one basket.

Also the Browns have some other young receivers in Lance Leggett, Brian Robiskie, and Mohamed Massaqoui. If Edwards were gone, these guys would really have a chance to develop with increased playing time.

I would really hate to see Edwards leave the Browns because of the emotional attachment I have with him. At the end of the day, though, that may be what is best for the Browns.