Trade Deadline Analysis: Siding With Shapiro
August 4, 2009Cleveland Sports: By The Numbers – #42
August 4, 2009Hmmm… Well this one is interesting. While admitting that is is purely speculation, Mike Florio hints that Braylon Edwards’ minicamp sideline aerobics may actually be the player’s way of staging a holdout as he did not get a new contract this offseason.
The fact that Edwards showed up a day late for camp is fueling the theory/hypothesis that he isn’t really hurt, and that he’s merely saying that he’s hurt in order to not have to practice as a protest against the fact that he hasn’t received a contract extension and/or hasn’t been traded.
Personally, I do think that Braylon is still nursing his busted ankle. You know, the one he injured while playing basketball. Again. However, given the hard-hitting nature of the current minicamp coupled with the fact that mistakes are actually met with repercussions like push-ups and lap running, I would not expect Edwards to be in a hurry to get his pads on.
While Eric Mangini is making all of his players earn their positions, would he honestly consider not starting Edwards at any point during this season? The wide receiver position is full of mediocrity at this point, and Edwards knows this. For now, I would anticipate more sprints and stationary bike until No. 17 feels that he’s ready to suit up. Then again, he could use as many repetitions as he can get…
28 Comments
Worst attitude on this team
I hope it’s not. I really want to like Braylon, but he makes it hard sometimes…
@Mac – Agreed. He has had one stand out year and the rest have been sub par to his talent level. What is he owed?
I love how whenever there are PURE speculative pieces written like that bit on Fanhouse, it always turns fans even more against a player. Like MacNip’s statement above. Not to pick on MacNip personally, but as an example, that’s how these things get out of hand. If you read what Fanhouse said, they merely said it is “fueling the theory/hypothesis”. There’s no legitimacy to that. There are no sources saying that Braylon is faking it or anything. It’s just rumor and innuendo being spread around the internet right now.
Now, of course that doesn’t mean it’s not true, but I’m not going to get upset about this until I hear some news that actually has some teeth behind it.
I think that a lot of sentiment stems from the whole package. The attitude, the spouting off, the lack of performance, the lack of focus, playing pick-up basketball while looking for a new contract… It all adds up and doesn’t leave a good taste in the mouth of the collective fan.
This piece (by PFT, not FanHouse) *is* speculation, but the thing is that fans likely have a hard time putting this out of the rhelm of possibility with Edwards.
great picture… bray bray wants his way way
i really have no reason to believe this
so I’m not going to.
@ Scott
This is what PFT does best.
I’m not going to break out my Tom Smykowski “Jump to Conclusions” mat just yet.
Michael Bolton: You think the pet rock was a really great idea?
Tom Smykowski: Sure it was. The guy made a million dollars. You know, I had an idea like that once. A long time ago.
Peter Gibbons: Really, what was it, Tom?
Tom Smykowski: Well, all right. It was a “Jump to Conclusions” mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor, and it would have different conclusions written on it that you could jump to.
I all fairness, writing a post about this isn’t really any better or worse than what PFT did.
We all know Mr. Edwards isn’t shy about voicing his feelings, so why post this at all? Everyone knows that a good amount of people ( in this town especially ) don’t read posts like this for what they’re worth, and then turn all doom and gloom because they interpreted it how they wanted to interpret it.
In* all fairness
@Rock – I see your point but I have always hated Braylon’s attitude from day one. Acted like he owned the place since the day he got here and RAC just made that worse. Hopefully Mangini will put him in his place and he can become a real professional who contributes with numbers and personality.
Also, I don’t think this is an attempt to hold out. I think he wants a new contract with a new team next year. He will play hard this year and probably well. He will probably say all the right things and people here will love him again. But he is what he is: A me-first player who has zero respect for anyone but himself
Screw that arrogant cancer! Time to clean house of all these no-talent whiners!
“I all fairness, writing a post about this isn’t really any better or worse than what PFT did.”
Even while saying that I don’t believe this to be the case?
Scott, I’m on the same page as you are. But people read what they want to read.
If that is true he is an idiot. Who would sign him for big money in a contract year when he is acting like this?
@ # 8 – that is the worst @#(#^@ idea I’ve heard in my entire life.
what exactly is he acting like? he hurt his ankle and is rehabbing with the team…those things you know. everything else is speculation and assumption. did lou dobbs write this post? birthers?
oh, and almost every player has a me-first attitude. they’re sports athletes. everything in their lives has been given to them on a silver platter. that’s the only life they know. don’t hate the player, hate the game.
He was at the EMH rec center in Avon when he sprained that ankle playing pickup basketball. I have a picture on my cellphone of him playing. There’s no holdout.
In my opinion, this is speculation and it’s poor speculation.
This is a contract year for Braylon Edwards and next will probably be the biggest contract of his career. He’s coming off of a horrnedus ’08 season where everything that could’ve gone wrong for him (and the team) basically did. For the sake of his earning potential going forward, he cannot afford to have a repeat of last season; whether he stays in Cleveland or not.
I think Braylon is capable of practicing but the training staff is holding him back to make 100% sure that he’s ready to go when they give him the green light. And I expect to see him in full pads any day now.
Is it possible Braylon is playing games with the injury? Yes. But highly, highly unlikely.
I would agree with Scott on this one that he is probably just nursing it a bit so he doesn’t have to go get hit right away. I really don’t see the point in him holding out. He can go out and have a big year, then get his payday elsewhere like he probably wants to.
Though to add to my first thoughts, I think the browns would make a horrbile move if they dont tag him if he does become a UFA.
let’s see if braylon can “hold’out’ long enough to get two feet down in bounds before he drops the contract talk
the sky is falling, the sky is falling…..Braylon isn’t practicing….it couldn’t be that he is injured, he must be a holdout about his contract/trade because why else would he be on the sidelines.
look who’s right next to him…that’s Shaun Rogers, he must still be angry with Mangini and pretended to get hurt too.
Dawson and Cribbs will feign injuries today because they are upset too…
the sky is falling….
@24 – not sure anyone on this site has reacted in the manner you are making fun of
I think that the real story here is that this rumor can get started in the first place. If Braylon didn’t act like a spoiled child last season / this offseason, nobody would believe the rumor. The mere fact that it is believable says more about Braylon than if this is true at all.
I personally believe that the Chiefs should try and negotiate a trade with the Browns for Braylon, I feel he would be a great addition to their up and coming offense that is lacking receivers for the newly acquired QB Matt Cassel.
[…] where it happened (Answers: ankle, basketball court). However, the rumors of his sideline sprints being a form of a holdout have been quickly shot down by the player being a part of the festivities in […]