Breaking news in the NFL this morning as ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the Cleveland Browns have agreed to trade Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets. Terms of the deal are not yet known but the troubled star will be on his way to New York this week.
No one would have guessed it would have come to this back in 2007 when Edwards had a huge season for Cleveland in which he caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 TDs, but both his play on the field and his conduct off the field have come under fire since then which clearly put him in new coach Eric Mangini's doghouse. Then rookie wideout Muhammad Massaquoi had a breakout performance this past Sunday, apparently making Edwards expendable and not worth enduring the headache that was to come with his alleged run-in with LeBron James' entourage.
Clearly the move will improve Edwards' fantasy production, which has been next to zero on the terrible Browns offense. How valuable he will be remains to be seen, however, as history tells us that wide receivers traded mid-season (Chris Chambers, Roy Williams) generally do not immediately step in and produce big numbers. He should become a threat in the red zone right away on a team that will have good field position the majority of the time because of a stout defense, so he will have opportunities.
If you have Edwards on your fantasy team hang onto him. If you don't, make a low-ball offer for him. His upside goes though the roof with this trade so capitalize if you can, but don't give up too much. Treat him like a #3 receiver or flex option and make the appropriate moves to get/keep him.
