As the excitement of the Braylon trade turns to acceptance of the beautiful reality, the details of the trade begin to be dissected by us, the fans. The biggest gripe being that we paid an awful lot for a "one year rental". The reality is that we paid next to nothing to get that potential missing #1 receiver. If Braylon lives up to his potential and seems like a good fit with the team, then signing him will be a labor of love for Tanny, and the scrubs plus picks we paid will go down as a steal, granted not of the Moss to NE variety (our name doesn't rhyme with hydroxycut), but definitely of the Jenkins variety, though no trade will ever make the impact that he did. The complaints start to arise, however, based on the possibility that he may not ever be Braylon 2007, and we are stuck with Braylon 2008. This is not a problem. Edwards's 5 years of NFL service mean that, just like Leon, he will be a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the 2009 season. This means that not only do we have the right to match any offer he is presented, essentially guaranteeing his presence on the team should we want it, but that we will be duly compensated should he walk. Regardless of performance, and I have to believe if he excels we will give him that $10 mil/yr contract he seeks, his RFA status means we can offer him the highest tender (in the neighborhood of $2.5 million) and either keep him for cheap (which I do not see happening in any scenario), match any offer he gets, or be compensated beyond anything that we originally paid. This means that even if he sucks, we can keep him for $2.5 million which even a sucky Edwards drawing coverage away from Cotch and Keller is worth or be compensated with a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick in the upcoming draft. Those 2 picks are significantly more valuable than the 3rd (or 2nd) and 5th that we gave up, shoot, they're worth more than the entire trade package including the two scrubs. So what the genius Mr. Tannenbaum actually did was set us up to either gain the elite receiver that we craved, or be more than compensated in the form of some killer draft picks in a super deep draft. Tanny does it again. Fuck yeah!
This is only really a genius trade if Braylon Edwards turns back into the player that he was in 2007. We gave up a STs stud, which we could afford to do, an excellent slot guy, which I'm not sure we could afford to do but it's a wash of Clowney or Smith can step into the slot, and a 3rd and 5th rounder. The picks are what worries me the most, not for their value so much as the fact that Tanny has been neglecting the draft in later rounds and our offensive line is thin as hell because of it. We need depth in some key areas and you build that with draft picks. We haven't had a lot of draft picks since Tanny has been here because he has been doing the Daniel Snyder thing and trading them away, constantly. Perennial contenders don't do that. I like what having Braylon on the field does for our passing and rushing games, but it's going to be a year or two before anyone can deem this a 'genius' trade or a bad trade.
Before we call Tanny a genius, lets not forget he drafted Gholston. Possibly the worst player ever to wear the Jet uniform.
The whole point of the post was that even if he sucks, we will get a 1 and 3 back at the end of the year, essentially using Stuckey and Trusnik to move up to the first and third rounds from the third and fifth respectively. The only possible argument you can have is that no one will match the tender offer, which I just do not see happening in today's elite WR depraved NFL. I bet the Bears jump on it given the chance (but that is just my speculation). At worst we keep the guy in 2010 and let him draw coverage for a measly $2.5 million for the year. This trade is already genius regardless of outcome. edit: I should have said the whole point was to refute the claims that it could be paying too much for a "one year rental". The 1 and 3 was a major supporting point, but not the overall thesis.
We drafted an offensive lineman in the later lines and he hasn't been active a game yet. I don't understand how everyone just assumes mid-round picks are going to be guaranteed depth. Signing a free agent to be a backup accomplishes the same thing.
Nobody cared when farrior left. Look what he became in a great defense. Give gholston a chance.... Tanny Rocks. he's getting better with age.
Wow, I had read your post but really didn't absorb the part about the 1st and 3rd, not having realized it. I was in the junkyard yesterday digging for Camaro parts and didn't get all of the info about the trade. That... that makes the entire thing worth it to me. My bad.
brothermosse, nice post. Correct me if I'm wrong though, BE is only a restricted FA under the current CBA, if an agreement is met, he is an UFA correct? For your "can't miss" scenario to work, we need to root for no agreement. BTW, I do like the fact that they didn't redo his deal, he needs to have something to prove.
I'm sorry, but the logic of him sucking so much that we don't want him, but yet someone else gives up a 1st and 3rd for him? Come on. The more realistic scenarios: 1) he sucks (and/or, he becomes toxic due to off field issues), we offer him the tender and ... nothing happens. No one else offers more, and Braylon holds out, until someone gives and everyone is pissed off. 2) He is great, he demands whole boatload of money. Either we give it to him, or someone else (hello Dan Snyder?) offers him even more, which we would be reckless to match, so he gets away with no compensation to us (or we do the reckless thing, and tie up a lot of $). Even if you don't agree these are likely alternative scenarios, you can't pretend they are not possible, like brothermoose does.
Where was it reported that we get a first and third if he leaves after the season? And who would those picks come from....the team who signs him, or the Browns??
That is correct. Something tells me that the league will be uncapped for 2010, though. Goodell is a shill for the owners, and the owners want to go uncapped in 2010. It think it's as close to a foregone conclusion as anything. Right now, the only real problem I have with this is that we just gave up a 3rd and a 5th in what will undoubtedly be a draft as deep in talent as we have ever seen. The uncapped year means that 2011 is either a lockout or it's going to have a rookie pay scale, and there will be a ton of players leaving college early to get a payday before that happens.
Too bad we couldn't get Mangini to take the Ghost instead of Stuckey or the 3rd rounder. Must be the contract.. Oh well, we'll see which Edwards shows up this season. He's in a great position to change his fortunes just like Jenkins did. If he comes off, Tanny gets the kudos. If not, we let him walk and get to turn the channel after the 1st round as I think Philly already owns our 2nd because of the Sheppard deal.
It wasn't reported, if the 2010 year is uncapped, Edwards will probably be tendered for a 1st and a 3rd as a RFA and if any team matches it, that's what we get in return.
First off, cut out the "we" shit. You're a Burt shill and nothing more. Secondly, I did not pretend anything was not possible, just that many possible outcomes are highly unlikely. Take the time to actually read and try to comprehend the OP and you'll see that. 1. A holdout at the end of the year, provided he sucks and is only offered the $2.5 mil tender, is a very real possibility. I still think another team takes a chance on him for what amounts to peanuts and we get our 1 and 3. 2. If Snyder signs him for big money, we will get our 1 and 3. Assuming Tanny makes the tender offer, and I will admit it is an assumption, is about as near you can get to a foregone conclusion as assuming Tara Reid has had crabs. The uncapped year in 2010 is just as likely. In other words, I'd be willing to bet money on it. Are you so confident?
Why is that? Was it Stuckey's being on pace for 480 yards and 4 TDs as a starter? or Was it Trusnik's being on pace for 16 special teams tackles? Come on man, Take off the green glasses and put things into perspective. By NFL standards, Trusnik is definitely a scrub, while Stuckey is a role player at best. Excuse my slight hyperbole, but next to Edwards potential or the picks we may get, they are scrubs for all intents and purposes.
