How Risky Is Braylon Edwards?

Jason LaCanfora has Braylon Edwards on the list of his riskiest free agents.

Braylon Edwards, WR: He is looking for the kind of big money that goes to top starting receivers. In what could be a very shallow market, chances are he will get it. The Jets won't fight that hard to keep him -- that tells you more than enough. New York is in the middle of a huge effort to re-sign and retain its core youngsters. Edwards can be petulant, is inconsistent and has made poor decisions off the field. He will wow you with one moment of splendor then fall back into a bone-headed funk. I'd expect his worst traits to be exacerbated once he has that big contract. I wouldn't go there.

Depending on how the labor situation shakes out, I'm not so sure how shallow the receiver market will be. A lot of good players could be free agents.

As for the substance, I agree with LaCanfora that Edwards is a bit riskier than a lot of people seem to think. He had a good season and focused enough to limit drops in a contract year. Even in that contract year, he was not able to stay out of trouble off the field. Last year's numbers were not All Pro caliber stuff either, and it was the second best year of his career. Plus he's one dimensional. He's a great deep threat, but his route running on short and intermediate stuff is not great.

Don't get me wrong. If I had a choice, I still would like to see him back. He's younger than a lot of the other options and has built good chemistry with Mark Sanchez. I tend to think his underwhelming career numbers have had a lot to do with his quarterback play. This just isn't a slam dunk signing. It would be a calculated risk.