I really like this trade. I'll be honest. Edwards is not my favorite receiver in the world. I also don't think he's the greatest fit. Jets fans jump all over guys who make mental mistakes, and Edwards is the king of dropping passes in the NFL. You hope the change of scenery helps his focus because I can definitely see a scenario where Edwards struggles early, the fans jump all over him, and we have another Justin McCareins situation on our hands before we know it.
As I said above, though, I really like this trade. There's no question Edwards has number one receiver talent. He can stretch the field and draw double coverage. It potentially gives the Jets the chance to use the Giants' Eli Manning model. They gave him the big target as a safety blanket, Plaxico Burress. Burress drawing double coverage made life easier for the run game since defenses had to key on him. The struggling backs aren't going to see as many eight man fronts with Edwards there to stretch the field. Jerricho Cotchery's also going to benefit. He's off to a hot start even though he's the focal point for opposing secondaries. Edwards-Cotchery is immediately one of the better receiver tandems in football.
Why does the reward make it worth the risk? The price. The Jets gave up a couple of backup caliber players and a couple of midround picks. If it doesn't work out, they really haven't given up all that much. They kept their top two selections in next year's loaded Draft. If it works, they've just added a great weapon on the cheap. Eric Mangini never helped the Jets like this when he was coaching them. He's given them Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards for spare parts since he took over the Browns, though.
Those are my thoughts. Do you think this trade was worth it?