Braylon Edwards

Edwards’ short stint with the 49ers was a bust, in part due to a knee injury through which he couldn’t play effectively. Still just 29 years old, Edwards, a free agent at press time, has drawn some interest from teams, notably the Jets and Bengals. At 6-3, 215, and with downfield speed and athleticism, Edwards has the tools to be a team’s No. 1 wideout. Lapses in concentration, off-the-field problems and attitude issues have dogged him for much of his career, however, and it remains to be seen whether he’s still hungry – and healthy – enough to make an impact.

Edwards' high profile drops and run-ins with the law obscured the fact he's still an elite deep threat and one of the better per-play targets in the league. In fact, Edwards was second only to Greg Jennings among 100-target receivers with 8.9 yards per target, thanks to a whopping 17.1 YPC. At 6-3, 215, with good long speed and more shiftiness than most receivers his size, Edwards still has Pro Bowl-level skills. That he finished only 21st overall among fantasy wideouts was due to the Jets spreading the ball around, having a balanced attack and rarely playing from too far behind. Edwards also showed more consistency - with just two dropped passes all year. While there's still some character risk here - Edwards was charged with a DWI last September - there's also top-five upside should the stars align, even with San Francisco's quarterback problems.

After leading the NFL with 16 dropped passes in 2008, and struggling at the start of last season, Edwards was shipped to New York where he alternately looked like the superstar from 2007 and a player unable to hold onto the ball. At 6-3, 215, and with excellent speed, athleticism and football instincts, Edwards is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the league. He’s exceptionally quick in and out of his breaks for a big receiver, runs decent routes and is able to make acrobatic catches down the field. But Edwards’ concentration lapses have gotten to the point where the team will have a hard time counting on him in key spots. In the team’s playoff win over the Bengals, he dropped a perfectly thrown deep ball that should have resulted in an easy touchdown. To address this, the team traded for Santonio Holmes, a No. 1 receiver in his own right, though Holmes will miss the first four games of the season due to a league-imposed suspension. Jerricho Cotchery is still around, and skilled pass-catching tight end Dustin Keller will also command his targets. But Edwards is easily the most gifted player of the group and could emerge as Mark Sanchez’s top target if he regains his focus.

Of all the disappointing seasons turned in by underperforming receivers last year, Edwards’ takes the cake. In part this is because he set the bar so high in 2007 (16 touchdowns, 1,289 yards) and at 25 was still in the absolute prime of his career. But it’s also because his season was terrible by even more modest standards. Consider that of the 35 100-target wideouts, Edwards was 34th with just 6.36 yards per target, and this despite averaging 15.9 yards per catch. The culprit was his abysmal 40-percent catch rate, dead last among any of the 75 receivers with 30 targets or more, and no doubt exacerbated by his league-leading 16 drops. As a result, Edwards and the Browns seemed temporarily to sour on one another with Edwards skipping the team’s offseason conditioning program, and Cleveland selecting receivers with both of its second-round picks and talking to other teams about a possible trade. But Edwards changed his tune in late May, indicating he preferred to remain in Cleveland. Should that happen, he’d still be the team’s top target and retain much of the upside he had entering last year. At 6-3, 215, he has the rare combination of size, athleticism and deep speed. He’s also exceptionally quick in and out of his breaks for a big man, and a decent route runner, despite his frequent lapses last year. If he’s dealt, his fortunes in large part would depend on where he lands – of course, considering the Browns are asking for more than a first-rounder at press time, it’s likely whoever acquired him would make him a featured part of the offense.

Cleveland is a passing-game wasteland no more. Of course, Edwards wasn't the only thing the Browns had going for them last season - quarterback Derek Anderson made major strides, the offensive line improved by leaps and bounds and tight end Kellen Winslow is among the best in the league. But the biggest breakout belonged to Edwards, whose 16 receiving touchdowns are unsurpassed by any player other than Randy Moss since Cris Carter and Carl Pickens each had 17 in 1995. At 6-3, 215, Edwards is almost impossible to jam at the line and has the speed to run by cornerbacks and the leaping ability and body control to go up over them. Edwards is also a solid route-runner and is able to change directions very smoothly for a receiver his size. Edwards finished fourth in the league in receptions of more than 20 yards with 21 and tied for ninth in receptions of 40-plus with four. Edwards' 16.1 yards per catch was good for second among the 34 receivers with 100 or more targets, and his 8.5 yards per target put him at 12th among that group. Edwards has all the tools to put up another big season, and that Anderson re-signed with the team for three-years bodes well. Nonetheless, second-year quarterback Brady Quinn is still in the mix, and if the Browns were to switch quarterbacks or trade Anderson, Edwards would have to establish a rapport with a new signal-caller. That bit of uncertainty adds a small amount of risk, but teams rarely sign players to $13.5 million of guaranteed money hoping to make a trade. The Browns also added Donte Stallworth to play opposite Edwards, but Stallworth's one-dimensional downfield game isn't likely to alter the way the team uses its star wideout very much.

Coming back nine months after a torn ACL and playing with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, Edwards’ modest 2006 season was probably about as much as could be expected. That Edwards allegedly showed up late for a team meeting and threw a tantrum on the sideline during a game didn’t help, either. Edwards heads into 2007 completely healthy and with two years of experience under his belt. Moreover, the team was able to nab stud offensive tackle Joe Thomas to beef up its line and quarterback Brady Quinn who could take over the reins before the season’s out. Of course, while Thomas should make an immediate positive impact, Quinn’s likely going to need some seasoning, and the Cleveland passing game isn’t likely to improve significantly until 2008. That said, there’s a lot to like about Edwards in Year 3 – he’s 6-3, 212, and has very good speed for a player of his strength and stature – Edwards caught four passes of 40 yards or more and averaged 14.5 yards per catch. He’s also got good quickness, he’s a good after-the-catch runner in the open field and he’s not afraid to mix it up over the middle.

Edwards’ status for the start of the season is up in the air as he rehabs from a torn ACL suffered last December. Unlike Javon Walker who suffered his injury three months earlier, Edwards won’t have had a full year to rehab. When he does return, the Browns will be getting a 6-3, 211-pound downfield threat with good route-running skills. With his size and leaping ability Edwards can go over top of defensive backs and has the burst to beat them on vertical routes. Edwards is not especially elusive, however, so he’s not going to make the NFL’s quicker corners miss while running after the catch. Still, Edwards averaged 16 yards per catch a year ago, and caught 54 percent of the balls thrown his way for a very respectable 8.7 yards per target. Keep an eye on Edwards’ progress this summer – even though quarterback Charlie Frye is still learning on the job and Edwards’ status is in doubt, there’s upside here for the second half of the season.

The No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, Edwards is the most well-rounded of the rookie receivers, with good size (6-3, 211 pounds), speed and route-running skills. Edwards has the height and leaping ability to go over top of defensive backs and the burst downfield to run by them. Edwards is not especially shifty, however, so he’s not going to make the NFL’s quicker corners miss while running after the catch. Edwards has a good chance to come in and start immediately, though veterans Andre Davis, Dennis Northcutt and Antonio Bryant also will be in the mix. While a Trent Dilfer-led passing game doesn’t portend a lot of upside for the Cleveland receivers, they should have a few big games if the offensive line can give Dilfer time to step into his throws.