Nobody cares where you came from Braylon ... just catch the ball
December 16
Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw
"Flames dance all around Romeo Crennel. But somehow Braylon Edwards is the one still feeling martyred? How is that?
"It is what it is ... I've learned since being here that I'm very unappreciated. Not by the organization, just in the eyes of the fans and the city. Since Day One, I've been a marked man coming from Michigan. It's just gone that way."
The clip of Edwards' words aired on WTAM Tuesday morning. It surely smacked of something dug out of the archives from Edwards' first couple seasons. But no.
Another big Monday night performance, this one in Philadelphia, gave Edwards cause to explain how he's had to put so much negativity aside this year, too.
As cop-outs go, bringing up Michigan again, in December of 2008, is hard to beat. Isn't this the same guy who joined fans at the stadium in "Hang on Sloopy" last year when he was dropping an almost equal number of passes?
With the recent slow crawl of offense now in full-fledged retreat, believe me no one would enjoy a touchdown by Edwards less because he's from That School Up North. Nobody has mathematically squared his dropped passes this season because he played for Ohio State's chief rival. The muffs multiplied on their own.
Apparently he responded Monday to the suggestion that the Pro Bowl Braylon Edwards returned against the Eagles.
"I'm just to the point now that I'm playing football and I could care less about the fans and the media," Edwards said. "People are talking about trading me and the B-S that's going on with our team, and this season. I've got a job to do and my job is to catch the football."
Catching the football for 16 touchdowns last year overshadowed an equal number of dropped passes. His muffs have been more numerous and more spectacular this season. They've hurt worse (Baltimore) and only three touchdown passes offset them.
Not sure who's talked of trading him. Anyone in a rush to build the passing game around Donte Stallworth and Syndric Steptoe has a death wish.
The hilarious aspect of Edwards bringing up trade talk is that he's the one who brought it up in the past, telling both Sports Illustrated and Jim Rome he hated it here and all but wanted out after the 2006 season. Monday he said that he wants to stay in Cleveland and help turn the Browns around.
No one held the get-me-out-town talk against Edwards. Maybe that's because he didn't admit to feeling that way until after his terrific 2008 season when all this Michigan nonsense was seemingly put to rest. "
Link
Calendar
