Link'd Up, 10/7/09: Jets gamble with trade for Edwards

The Jets haven't had a truly controversial receiver since the loquacious Keyshawn Johnson in the late 1990s. Even Keyshawn was only an issue because of his mouth, which he liked to shoot off at any particular time for no particular reason.

Now Gang Green has a wideout who's got enough off-the-field issues for a whole team. Multiple sources reported Wednesday morning that trouble Browns' wideout Braylon Edwards was traded to the Jets for wideout Chansi Stuckey, special teams dynamo Jason Trusnik and undisclosed draft picks.

An elite receiver since his days at Michigan, Edwards has seen his numbers decline since his monster 2007 season but remains a big, physical wideout who can go up and get almost anything thrown his way. Off the field, he can't stay out of trouble, drawing the ire of everyone from Charlie Frye to LeBron James himself for various incidents. My favorite was when Browns management told Edwards he couldn't attend the 2007 rivalry game between his alma mater Michigan and Ohio State. Edwards chartered a helicopter and buzzed up to Ann Arbor anyway.

The move is a definite gamble. The NFL is reviewing the incident outside a Cleveland nightclub where Edwards allegedly punched club promoter and LeBron confidant Edward Givens in the face. But it gives rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez a deep threat and a big target who not only brings his own considerable talents to the table but immediately takes some of the focus off receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who should see single coverage the rest of the season. Sanchez should like that, even if the Jets have to lock up the 'childish' Edwards (LeBron's words, not mine) between games.