Braylon Edwards to the Big Apple

Braylon Edwards to the Big Apple
John Kelly
Football Reporters Online
Senior Writer
Midwest/Northeast Correspondent

Braylon Edwards was one apple that fell way off the tree in Cleveland. Early Wednesday morning he changed addresses for a city whose fruit happens to be bigger than his attitude.

The New York Jets agreed to acquire Braylon Edwards from the Cleveland Browns to bolstering an anemic passing attack.
New York dealt special-teams player Jason Trusnik, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey and undisclosed draft picks to Cleveland for the pro bowl receiver.

There have been many New York sports acquisitions that have carried more baggage than Edwards. Still, that doesn’t mean Braylon’s bags aren’t loaded.

Edwards has been involved in several off-field incidents in recent months. Recently, he was accused of assaulting a friend of Lebron James, the NBA’s most valuable player, outside a Cleveland nightclub two days ago. The case is still under investigation by the National Football league. He also was out with former Brown receiver Dante Stallworth in Miami the night of his drunk driving incident that killed a pedestrian.

Edwards also received a fine for driving at 120 miles per hour. He was assigned 30 hours community service last November.
Edwards on the year has 10 catches for 139 yards and no touchdowns in four games for the winless Browns.

He has 238 receptions for 3,697 yards and 28 scores in five seasons with Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 but has failed to return to form since then. The Jets certainly hope he can be a deal breaker for their offense and the outlet Mark Sanchez needs to get the job done.

Bills Trade Willis McGahee to Ravens- Oh BoY!!!!Hot off the Press....
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer



ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Running back Willis McGahee was traded to the Baltimore Ravens by Buffalo for three draft choices Thursday, a day after Jamal Lewis signed with Cleveland.

Two of the picks will be in this year's draft and another one next year.

McGahee, with whom the Bills had become dissatisfied, is to travel to Baltimore to meet with team officials later in the day. McGahee had one year left on his five-year contract with Buffalo, and had been seeking an extension.

"This is a runner who can make people miss and has the explosion and speed to take it the distance," said Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome. "He also has the power and size to run inside. He's a viable receiver out of the backfield and is a good pass blocker, not something every back can do.

"He also plays physical and with toughness, which are things we pride ourselves on here."

Lewis, whose productivity had been declining, was released last week by the Ravens.

McGahee will take over as the No. 1, ahead of veteran backup Mike Anderson and Musa Smith, who has primarily been used on special teams.

The Bills were not immediately available for comment.

Buffalo's first-round pick out of Miami in 2003, McGahee is coming off a season in which he finished with a career-low 990 yards rushing, but led the team with six rushing touchdowns in 14 starts.

In 2005, he had ran for 1,247 yards and five touchdowns in 15 starts. He established himself as the Bills starter in 2004 with 1,128 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. That performance led the team to trade Travis Henry to Tennessee the following summer.

McGahee sat out his rookie season recovering from major knee surgery.

The Bills are now left searching for a starting running back to play in front of a revamped offensive line that features two new starters -- guard Derrick Dockery and tackle Langston Walker -- signed on the first day of free agency last week.

Third-stringer Shaud Williams is the only experienced running back currently on the team's depth chart.

The Bills have expressed interest in at least two free agents, meeting this week with Chris Brown, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, and Dominic Rhodes, a member of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

Brown spent the past two days visiting the team's Orchard Park headquarters, but left for Detroit on Thursday without a deal.



So I guess he Giants can forget getting a Runingback. McGahee is a good Move for Baltimore though. Billick is Smart

McGahee to The Ravens

Bills Trade Willis McGahee to Ravens- Oh BoY!!!!Hot off the Press....
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer



ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Running back Willis McGahee was traded to the Baltimore Ravens by Buffalo for three draft choices Thursday, a day after Jamal Lewis signed with Cleveland.

Two of the picks will be in this year's draft and another one next year.

McGahee, with whom the Bills had become dissatisfied, is to travel to Baltimore to meet with team officials later in the day. McGahee had one year left on his five-year contract with Buffalo, and had been seeking an extension.

"This is a runner who can make people miss and has the explosion and speed to take it the distance," said Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome. "He also has the power and size to run inside. He's a viable receiver out of the backfield and is a good pass blocker, not something every back can do.

"He also plays physical and with toughness, which are things we pride ourselves on here."

Lewis, whose productivity had been declining, was released last week by the Ravens.

McGahee will take over as the No. 1, ahead of veteran backup Mike Anderson and Musa Smith, who has primarily been used on special teams.

The Bills were not immediately available for comment.

Buffalo's first-round pick out of Miami in 2003, McGahee is coming off a season in which he finished with a career-low 990 yards rushing, but led the team with six rushing touchdowns in 14 starts.

In 2005, he had ran for 1,247 yards and five touchdowns in 15 starts. He established himself as the Bills starter in 2004 with 1,128 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. That performance led the team to trade Travis Henry to Tennessee the following summer.

McGahee sat out his rookie season recovering from major knee surgery.

The Bills are now left searching for a starting running back to play in front of a revamped offensive line that features two new starters -- guard Derrick Dockery and tackle Langston Walker -- signed on the first day of free agency last week.

Third-stringer Shaud Williams is the only experienced running back currently on the team's depth chart.

The Bills have expressed interest in at least two free agents, meeting this week with Chris Brown, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, and Dominic Rhodes, a member of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

Brown spent the past two days visiting the team's Orchard Park headquarters, but left for Detroit on Thursday without a deal.



So I guess he Giants can forget getting a Runingback. McGahee is a good Move for Baltimore though. Billick is Smart

Source: Jets reach preliminary agreement to get Bears RB Jones THIS IS BIG FOR GANG GREEN-See Below

BY TOM ROCK AND BOB GLAUBER-Newsday

The Jets still have not signed any free agents during this offseason period that began Friday, but yesterday they took a huge step toward improving one of their weakest spots.

Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses through free agency, they went out and got their own Jones.

The Jets have reached an agreement with the Bears to acquire running back Thomas Jones in a move that is contingent on his passing a physical and agreeing to a contract extension, a team source confirmed to Newsday last night. The trade could be completed today.

If the deal goes through, the Jets will receive Jones, who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, along with the Bears' second-round pick (63rd overall) in exchange for the higher of their two second-round picks (37th overall), according to the source. The Jets acquired that pick in a deal with the Redskins and would retain their own second-round pick, 59th overall.

Jones had one year left on his contract with the Bears and was due to earn $2.75 million in 2007. If the Jets sign Jones, it likely will be for terms similar to the five-year, $25-million deal Travis Henry signed with the Broncos as an unrestricted free agent yesterday.

Jones was unhappy with the Bears when they picked Cedric Benson in the 2005 draft - he even skipped some offseason training with the team in protest before the 2006 season - but his discontent did not show up in his production. He ran for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns on 296 carries as the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl this past season and had 1,335 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 314 carries in 2005.

A first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2000, he did not begin to flourish until he arrived in Chicago and ran for 948 yards in 2004. He has averaged 4.0 yards per carry in his career.

The Jets struggled to replace injured Curtis Martin in 2006, eventually settling on a committee of backs, and averaged 108 rushing yards per game during the regular season. That ranked 20th; only the Ravens averaged fewer rushing yards and still made the playoffs.

In recent weeks, the Jets released Derrick Blaylock and Kevan Barlow, who once were considered capable of carrying the Jets' running game but were, by season's end, inactive due to coaching decisions.

The Jets will have second-year back Leon Washington and third-year player Cedric Houston to share the load with Thomas if the trade is completed. Washington showed game-breaking moves in his rookie season, but at 5-8, 202 pounds, there is doubt he can be an every-down running back.

Jones is listed at 5-10, 220 pounds. He'll be 29 years old when the 2007 regular season opens.

The deal would leave the Bears with Benson as their top running back. Benson injured his left knee in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI last month and has 919 career rushing yards in his two NFL seasons.


And My Slant: People had said that the Jets were awfully quiet in not signing any big names in free agency so far. Well here is a blockbuster trade. Jones brings them a legitimate 20+ carry a game runner, which they lacked without Curtis Martin.
Ok, so he is 28 heading for 29. He still has at least 2-3 good years left infront of him barring serious injury, and the Jets have built an offensive line that will block for him. The competition is only getting stronger in the AFC east......

NY Jets Trade 2nd Rd. Pick for Bears RB Thomas Jones

Source: Jets reach preliminary agreement to get Bears RB Jones THIS IS BIG FOR GANG GREEN-See Below

BY TOM ROCK AND BOB GLAUBER-Newsday

The Jets still have not signed any free agents during this offseason period that began Friday, but yesterday they took a huge step toward improving one of their weakest spots.

Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses through free agency, they went out and got their own Jones.

The Jets have reached an agreement with the Bears to acquire running back Thomas Jones in a move that is contingent on his passing a physical and agreeing to a contract extension, a team source confirmed to Newsday last night. The trade could be completed today.

If the deal goes through, the Jets will receive Jones, who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, along with the Bears' second-round pick (63rd overall) in exchange for the higher of their two second-round picks (37th overall), according to the source. The Jets acquired that pick in a deal with the Redskins and would retain their own second-round pick, 59th overall.

Jones had one year left on his contract with the Bears and was due to earn $2.75 million in 2007. If the Jets sign Jones, it likely will be for terms similar to the five-year, $25-million deal Travis Henry signed with the Broncos as an unrestricted free agent yesterday.

Jones was unhappy with the Bears when they picked Cedric Benson in the 2005 draft - he even skipped some offseason training with the team in protest before the 2006 season - but his discontent did not show up in his production. He ran for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns on 296 carries as the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl this past season and had 1,335 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 314 carries in 2005.

A first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2000, he did not begin to flourish until he arrived in Chicago and ran for 948 yards in 2004. He has averaged 4.0 yards per carry in his career.

The Jets struggled to replace injured Curtis Martin in 2006, eventually settling on a committee of backs, and averaged 108 rushing yards per game during the regular season. That ranked 20th; only the Ravens averaged fewer rushing yards and still made the playoffs.

In recent weeks, the Jets released Derrick Blaylock and Kevan Barlow, who once were considered capable of carrying the Jets' running game but were, by season's end, inactive due to coaching decisions.

The Jets will have second-year back Leon Washington and third-year player Cedric Houston to share the load with Thomas if the trade is completed. Washington showed game-breaking moves in his rookie season, but at 5-8, 202 pounds, there is doubt he can be an every-down running back.

Jones is listed at 5-10, 220 pounds. He'll be 29 years old when the 2007 regular season opens.

The deal would leave the Bears with Benson as their top running back. Benson injured his left knee in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLI last month and has 919 career rushing yards in his two NFL seasons.


And My Slant: People had said that the Jets were awfully quiet in not signing any big names in free agency so far. Well here is a blockbuster trade. Jones brings them a legitimate 20+ carry a game runner, which they lacked without Curtis Martin.
Ok, so he is 28 heading for 29. He still has at least 2-3 good years left infront of him barring serious injury, and the Jets have built an offensive line that will block for him. The competition is only getting stronger in the AFC east......