Empty the Bench

It’s always a little surprising to see a trade go down mid-season in the NFL, but it’s downright shocking when it involves a name-brand player like Braylon Edwards (although whether or not Edwards deserves that name brand is dubious). It sounds like his his catchless performance on Sunday and subsequent tiff with a member of the LeBron James crew may have been the last straw for both Edwards and the Browns. If Edwards doesn’t significantly alter his attitude off the field and become a more consistent player on it the New York media and fans are going to eat him alive – but let’s set that aside for now and get into the trade details and implications.

Compulsive tweeter Adam Schefter reports the Jets have shipped wideout Chansi Stuckey, linebacker/special teamer Jason Trusnick, and two draft picks, which are believed to be mid-rounders, in exchange for the disgruntled and underperforming receiver. That seems like quite a haul for a guy who was shutout on Sunday and has managed just 10 receptions for 139 yards and 0 TDs so far this season. Admittedly, that’s a small sample size and the quarterback play in Cleveland has been terrible, but last year Edwards also put up a paltry 55 catches, 873 yards and 3 scores and managed to finish second in the NFL in drops. Fact is, he’s only really had one strong season in the NFL.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum was obviously willing to overlook that though, and he may be right to do so. Braylon has been openly upset with coaching and management in Cleveland for a while now and it’s likely affected his play. And let’s not forget this is a guy who was the third-overall pick in 2005 and caught 16 touchdowns just two years ago. Edward is still a 6-3, 215 lbs. athletic freak with good speed who excels at getting open down the field, which is just the kind of player the Jets have been coveting. On paper, he complements Jerricho Cotchery on the other side very well. It’s going to take Braylon Edwards a couple weeks to get up to full speed with Mark Sanchez and the Jets playbook, but over the course of the season this should be a significant boon to Edwards’ fantasy value. Dynasty leaguers should be very pleased. This is a better offense, a better line, a better QB and a more balanced attack and the Jets have been craving somebody who can make plays deep – although New York will remain a rushing team.

At this point you should be looking to hold Edwards and take a wait-and-see approach or pawn him off on an overzealous owner who thinks the move means Edwards will make a return to 2007 form – the final results this season should be somewhere between that fantastic year and last season’s disaster. If you can fully recoup on your draft-day investment, you have to consider it. One thing to keep in mind in making your decision (or to remind potential trade partners of): Edward’s fantasy schedule just got a lot softer and his matchup in the fantasy championship week went from the Raiders and Nnamdi Asomugha to the Colts.

The move could be a minor blow to Jerricho Cotchery’s fantasy value going forward. He’ll initially be leaned on more, but as the season progresses Edwards will likely command more targets than anybody Cotchery has been lining up opposite of. That said, the impact should be minor and the additional attention Edwards draws from safeties deep could also have a positive impact, so this isn’t really actionable news for Cotchery owners.

Second-year receiver Chansi Stuckey may become slightly more involved in the passing game on a Cleveland team short on playmakers, but he remains an unexciting option for the time being. No need to race to the waiver wire to grab him. The real story in Cleveland is rookie Mohamed Massaquoi, who now needs to be owned in all leagues. Fresh off an 8-catch, 148-yeard breakout performance last week the second-round pick will be thrust into the spotlight as one of the only receivers the Browns QBs know and trust. He’s now that team’s clear-cut No. 1, and with that defense they will be throwing often. Kudos to those of you who were fortunate enough to scoop him up already.