Obvious Thursday From New Jersey: Braylon Deserves Reputation
by David_Wyatt on Jan 14, 2010 2:59 AM EST
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| Steve Politi and Dave Hutchinson discuss the Jets as they prepare for the Chargers |
We have said it, the media have said it, coaches have said it, but now it's gone one step further, even his father has said it.
Am I worried about him getting a reputation for dropping the football?" Stan Edwards asked this week from suburban Detroit. "No. Because let’s be honest — he’s earned it."
It is becoming a tired issue but with the off-season right around the corner, a decision has to be made on his future. He will likely want to get paid, and he will be looking for a multi-year deal. Can we afford to give it to him with his unreliability with the football in the air. A lot of fans come here and mock him because all they see is the highlight package, and when you are thrown the ball twice, one for a 5 yard vital completion, the other a massive drop, only one is making the reel. We see the others aspects he brings to the table, his speed keeps defenses honest, his blocking skills are unique and despite his problems, at any time he can break out. So what are the problems?
"Wish I knew," he said. "It’s mind-boggling. He’ll make catches that nobody else in the game will make. It’s not making a difficult catch. He’ll make a borderline impossible catch! And then he’ll drop one on a simple route."
Some have suggested that his legal trouble in Cleveland was on his mind, his QB carousel in Cleveland prevented any rapport developing, when he worked with an impressive QB in Derek Anderson in 2007 (seems strange to say that after Anderson's performances lately) he went to the Pro Bowl. Outside pressures also played on his mind according to his father:
Stan Edwards remembers his son’s house being egged the week of the Ohio State game, his lawn strewn with trash. He called it "a negative situation for everyone.""The Michigan-Ohio State thing is real," the father said. "I remember one night, we needed a police escort back from a restaurant — this was during the off-season. These people were very serious about causing bodily harm. I thought I was going to have to fight."
This is going to be one of the tougher decisions for Mike Tannenbaum this off-season, Braylon could really do with a 'special' game this weekend, like Hutchinson and Politi says he isn't getting a long term deal off this seasons performance, even if he is looking for one, and the likely $5 million is a far cry from the $10 million that was projected earlier this season. If you ask Edwards there is no doubt in his mind where he wants to be
"I’d like to be a Jet for the rest of my years,"
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It’s always going to be someone ELSE’S fault with Braylon. Always ‘outside’ pressures. He’s still taking cheap shots at the browns to this day even though he’s ‘moved on.’ So his latest drops as a Jet (and as you guys see they are becoming numerous and glaring) are some sort of ‘residual mental anguish’ caused by his previous team?!? Poor Braylon.
You guys are seeing it it now…and if it doesn’t get any better for him he’s gonna start making excuses for himself blaming Jet’s fans, or Jet’s management, Jet teammates, or Jet coaches…
Hey, I hope it works out for you guys and he goes to the Pro Bowl every year and helps your team alot. Browns fans hold absolutely no hostility towards the Jets simply because they had a bad relationship with with a former player…But if it doesn’t work out with BE, don’t say we didn’t warn ‘ya about this guy….The fact that he’s still running his mouth about it says something about the type of player he is mentally.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
Although I think you have a very good point, I disagree with the final sentence of ‘The fact that he’s still running his mouth about it says something about the type of player he is mentally’. He really hasn’t said much, outside the first week where he was bombarded with questions, he has been the model team mate, the quotes above are from his father (apart from the last one), and the only thing he has said recently was just that he was happy to get the legal troubles behind him and cut all ties. Which in my opinion, is a perfectly reasonable statement by him. Apart from that over the past two months, he has been fantastic, no controversies apart from the 6 official drops.
Definitely see what you are saying however, and perhaps he is just a dropper, and he will be the rest of his career. However now he has no excuses, he says he loves being here, he is around a good positive atmosphere, and the QB isn’t changing, I think we probably re-sign him on a one year $5.2 million deal next year, and if he continues to drop, then you can’t defend him, but he also does a lot of good things for us. Cheers for stopping by and offering your opinion though.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
Although I think you have a very good point, I disagree with the final sentence of ‘The fact that he’s still running his mouth about it says something about the type of player he is mentally’. He really hasn’t said much, outside the first week where he was bombarded with questions,
He said quite a bit last week. That’s why I was commenting.
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2010/1/7/1239130/braylon-edwards-continues-to-trash
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Jan 14, 2010 8:09 PM EST up reply actions
I stand corrected, I didn’t see that article and missed those comments entirely, had no idea he had made them, so apologies for that. I can see why that would be frustrating as a Browns fan, but as a Jet at least for the time being, he has not been any kind of a distraction, he has been a model team mate, Rex and Mike have talked about his locker room attitude being top notch. Even through the drops he has a decent reputation with the fans because of the other aspects he brings to the game. (can see that by 82% of people wanting him to be re-signed). So I did miss that article and those comments he made, but things like that have been few and far between.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
. I can see why that would be frustrating as a Browns fan, but as a Jet at least for the time being, he has not been any kind of a distraction, he has been a model team mate, Rex and Mike have talked about his locker room attitude being top notch.
Well, hopefully that will continue…but if it doesn’t, don’t say we didn’t warn you…
Good luck this weekend against the chargers…a very winnable game for you guys.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Jan 14, 2010 10:08 PM EST up reply actions
Oh we have been warned by many a Browns fan, so will keep that in mind
I hope all our players are doing well for you, lost count how many you have, Stuckey/Colemand/Elam/Ratliff/Barton and probably missing some more.
Thanks very much, nobody is really giving us a chance in this one.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
by David_Wyatt on Jan 14, 2010 10:16 PM EST up reply actions
hahaha you sound sad. I would be too, as a turds fan. Braylon will work out his kinks now that he has a real QB.
Thomas Jones runs this league
I’m not sad, trust me…it’s good riddance to some bad rubbish. .
Braylon will work out his kinks now that he has a real QB.
Maybe. Maybe not…we’ll see. I hope he does, actually. For your teams sake….not for him.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Jan 14, 2010 8:12 PM EST up reply actions
Quality, informed response, BTW…good job.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Jan 14, 2010 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
It's gotta be some mental thing
As Rex notes, it seems he only drops those wide-open-with-miles-of-daylight-in-front-of-him passes. You’ve gotta believe that he’s going to get over it at some point. He’s obviously not gonna be Jerry Rice or even Jerricho Cotchery with his hands, but I believe he’ll be a true home-run hitter for us rather than just a threat like he is right now.
Maybe he needs glasses?
I’m a big JETS fan and agree that we need to keep him. He does other things well that some other receivers don’t such as blocking, running full speed even if he is not getting the ball; those type of things. His has a bigger upside than downside. But he really may need to have his eyes checked, he seems to have a depth perception issue. It also may be as Exystence mentioned, a mental thing. If all he thinks about is not dropping the ball instead of just catching it; its going to continue. Braylon, just catch it and don’t worry about dropping it.
This might be true
but I think if that was the case he’d be getting hit in the face by a lot of those short quick passes rather than actually catching them. It seems that if he doesn’t have time to think about it and just reacts on instinct, he can put his hands up and grab the ball easily. That’s what makes me think it’s a mental issue.
I agree thats its a mental thing also.
He makes incredible acrobatic catches in tight double coverage that few others can do. Then he’ll have 3 steps on a DB for and easy TD and doinks it off his mask. He’s probably trying not to drop it, rather than just catching it. But its all speculation really. I hope we re-sign him though. A short term incentive-laden contract seems appropriate. Maybe include a penalty provision if his drops exceed a certain amount (e.g. league avg).
Braylon’s got all the physical tools, but for a wr (especially a #1) bad hands are inexcusable. The passes he drops are often huge as far as the game situation and/or momentum, which makes them exponentially worse. There are a lot more 6’2"+ 200lb+ guys out there who run like the wind than there used to be. The Jets need to keep searching and find one who can catch.
$$$
if he wants to get paid like the receiver in 2007, good bye and good luck. if he is willing to recognize he’s hasn’t been that player in 2 years and willing to sign a reasonable deal, let’s keep him. he is very talented, works hard, blocks well, and makes defenses adjust. but until he starts catching passes consistently, he just doesn’t deserve big $$$.
+1000000
Amazing seperation skills. If only he had the hands to match we’d have a Moss on our hands.
We have a great wide receivers coach in Henry Ellard, he is top of the line, I know people will say he has had all season to work with Edwards, but it’s not easy with game planning and film study. I really do think that it would be beneficial for us to re-sign Edwards to a one year $5-$5.5 mill deal, give him a full off-season with Ellard and Sanchez, and then if he continues to drop next year, it’s safe to say that he may be beyond repair, but I think we need to give him some time and an off-season program to try and work these things out.
Writer/Assistant editor
Eternal optimist
New York Jets
Gang Green Nation
www.ganggreennation.com
by David_Wyatt on Jan 15, 2010 12:49 AM EST up reply actions
To be fair to Cleveland fans
Braylon kinda did say some things about there’s no way the Browns can be a winning team. I can see how a fan wouldn’t like hearing that.
and the home of the... JETS!!!
www.ganggreennation.com
Braylon kinda did say some things about there’s no way the Browns can be a winning team. I can see how a fan wouldn’t like hearing that.
This was the article I was referring to. We as Browns fans had let it go and moved on…and then he’s gotta come back with some more of this crap?…
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-edwardsescape010710&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
by johnnyphoenix on Jan 14, 2010 8:14 PM EST up reply actions
“I’ve got to go on the record and thank Eric Mangini for giving me a chance to be part of Coach Rex and the things that we’re doing as a team,"
This means a great deal to me," he said. "I just felt coming into this season that I was in a situation that I just didn’t want to be in, that I didn’t see getting any better."
…and again. Sure, that statement was really meant to ‘thank Mangini’ instead of taking another cheap shot. The ‘oh this is so great’ is, quite simply, ass-kissing to save his job…
Well, at least you guys have moved past the ’He’s a great receiver, he just was in a bad situation and needed a real QB,‘ and onto the next phase ’He’s a good blocker, get’s other receivers open and is such a great teammate.’
Next phases to come as they inevitably occur.
"I don’t dance too much." --Mike Holmgren
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