If you follow the Braylon Edwards timeline since he came to Cleveland closely, it'll appear as an up-and-down roller coaster. The ride abruptly ended mid-stream this morning though, when the Browns traded the former first-round receiver to the New York Jets. After not being dealt in the offseason to the other New York team, the New York Giants, it seemed to be certain that Edwards would remain with the club for the entire 2009 campaign.
It's disappointing to see Edwards' abilities leave this team, but at 0-4 and with Edwards' future with the Browns already uncertain, the trade is understandable. With the non-football antics he has pulled throughout his career, including this past Monday, I don't think many Browns fans will be shedding any tears either.
What was included in the deal? Let's take a look at the specifics:
| BROWNS TRADE | JETS TRADE | |
| WR Braylon Edwards | for | WR Chansi Stuckey ST Jason Trusnik 3rd round pick in 2010* 5th round pick in 2010* |
According to ESPN, the league is still determining whether or not to punish Edwards for violating the league's conduct policy after he was accused of assaulting a friend of LeBron James. That mess doesn't belong with the Browns anymore though; apparently the Jets will have to worry about that now.
"It's the right thing for us and for Braylon," stated Browns head coach Eric Mangini on Wednesday. "This is a fresh start for Braylon. It's a great opportunity for him and I expressed to him that I hope he takes advantage of it."
Stuckey was the Jets' No. 2 receiver this year. A former seventh-round draft pick in 2007, Stuckey had 11 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown this season. He is no where near the threat that Edwards was, but he's one of those up-and-coming receivers who could really catch on. He will probably be the Browns' No. 2 receiver, although if there are issues getting used to the system, Mike Furrey could move up temporarily instead. This quickly secures Mohamed Massaquoi's spot as the team's new No. 1 receiver though.
With respect to Trusnik, a linebacker, the team has added another "special teams beast", similar to LB Blake Costanzo. Trusnik was the NFL's Week 3 Special Teams Player of the Week for forcing and recovering a fumble on a kickoff.
UPDATE: Several reports are indicating that the draft picks might include a third- and fifth-rounder.
We'll have updates when we find out what draft picks the Browns received, and who the Browns released to make way for Trusnik.