Jets Conceding Season? Trade for Braylon Edwards.

by | Oct 7, 2009 | 2009 Trades, NFL Breaking News, NFL News

In a move that will likely be seen by many Jets fans as a move towards taking the AFC East division title, the New York Jets traded for Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards this morning.

At first glance, the move would appear to make sense for the Jets–they’ve lacked a big name wide receiver this season, who can stretch the field and take some pressure off of the running game.  Led by a defense that is ranked 3rd in points allowed and 4th in yardage allowed in the NFL and the effective (if not spectacular, for a rookie) play of QB Mark Sanchez, the team started 3-0.

But the Jets passing game is also ranked 27th in the NFL after four games, and Sanchez looked more like a rookie QB last week against the Saints, a team that, while improved defensively, has not had a reputation for having a stout defense in recent years.  And while the running game is currently ranked 9th in the NFL by yardage, that can’t be expected to continue if the team can’t effectively move the ball through the air, as teams will start to put 8-9 guys in the box regularly to stop Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.

Edwards brings to the Jets a rare combination of size and speed, and the pedigree of being a #3 overall pick, in the  2005 draft.  But to be honest, that’s about all the positivity that he brings to the table for the Jets.

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Jets S-T-E-A-L Sanchez; what are Raiders doing?

by | Apr 25, 2009 | 2009 Trades, NFL Draft

Wow.

Eight picks into the draft and the Zoneblitz mock draft is shot.

The New York Jets, as many expected, moved up to make a play at a quarterback. The shock to me is how little it took for them to move up from 17 to 5 in order to grab Mark Sanchez, the USC underclassman. The Jets give up the 17th pick, a 2nd round pick and three decent-at-best players – must’ve been guys Eric Mangini, former Jets and new Browns coach, liked while he was in the Big Apple.

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The Browns want WHAT?!?!?! for Edwards?

by | Apr 22, 2009 | 2009 NFL Free Agency, 2009 Trades, NFL Draft

Bahahahaha hahaha hahaha!!!

…

Bwahaha haha hahah haha

Sorry. Just flipped on ESPN and Sal Paolantonio reported that the Cleveland Browns are willing to trade butter-fingered wideout Braylon Edwards to the New York Giants – in exchange for defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka AND a first-round draft choice.

Yes, that’s correct – Cleveland wants a first-round pick AND a starting quality defensive end for a wide receiver that dropped as many passes as he caught last season.

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Bucs reward oft-injured tight end

by | Apr 6, 2009 | 2009 Trades

Kellen Winslow Jr. missed 36 of the 80 games Cleveland played while he was on the team. He shredded his knee in a motorcycle accident, missing the entire 2005 season.

He was suspended once this past season for conduct detrimental to the team when he spouted off to the media about the Browns’ issues with staph infection, after having been shushed by the public relations staff.

He has two 80-plus catch seasons and one 1,000-yard season out of five, but has caught just 11 touchdowns and has done nothing – nothing at all – to resemble the player the Browns thought they were getting when they drafted him sixth overall in 2004.

So, what does Tampa Bay do? They give up a 2nd round pick in 2009 and a 5th in 2010 in February to acquire him – and then this week sign him six-year, $36 million contract with $20 million guaranteed.

There are few tight ends I’d consider giving that kind of money. Jason Witten in Dallas is probably worth it. Antonio Gates has been the best in the game for most of the last half-decade. Tony Gonzalez was probably worth it at one point during his career.

But Kellen Winslow?

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Cutler helps but Bears pay steep price

by | Apr 2, 2009 | 2009 Trades, NFL News, NFL Random Thoughts

Jay Cutler will immediately be the best quarterback the Chicago Bears have lined up under center since … Jim McMahon? Sid Luckman?

The team is unproven, at best, and more than likely more like putrid at wide receiver with Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, Earl Bennett and possibly Marty Booker competing for playing time. Cutler will make them a little better, but expecting too much from him in that regard, to borrow a bad cliche, is expecting him to put lipstick on a pig.

The Bears are also less than stellar at offensive tackle. John Tait retired. John St. Clair moved onto Cleveland as a free agent. Last year’s top pick Chris Williams will likely fill one spot. The Bears signed Frank Omiyale and Kevin Shaffer and are rumored to be interested in aging and oft-injured tackle Orlando Pace. But Williams is coming off a back injury and the other three potential options, well, nobody is going to be immortalizing them in bronze in Canton anytime soon.

Chicago certainly upgraded the quarterback position and Cutler is young enough where he is the equivalent of a first rounder – and possibly the equivalent of a first and third rounder. But wow – they gave up two firsts, a third and Kyle Orton. That’s a steep price to pay.

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Peppers to Patriots Makes Sense for No One

by | Mar 17, 2009 | 2009 Trades, NFL Random Thoughts

The latest big time trade rumor making the rounds in the NFL is that Julius Peppers will go to the Patriots, in exchange for the 34th pick in this year’s draft, which the Patriots acquired from the Chiefs for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel.

Peppers, who has been with the Carolina Panthers since the 2002 season, expressed his desire to leave the team earlier this offseason, and go to a team that features a 3-4 defense.  The team responded by tagging him as their franchise player.

On the surface, the move might make sense–the Panthers get rid of a disgruntled player, and get something back; Peppers goes to a perennial contender that plays the 3-4 defense he thinks will better suit him; and the Patriots get a big name pass rusher.

Digging in, though, the deal doesn’t really make sense to anyone.

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