Despite a rocky offseason where his name was perpetually linked to trade rumors, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards apparently wasn’t offended by the constant speculation about his future.
In the wake of not being traded to the New York Giants following a season where he led the NFL in dropped passes, Edwards says he’s not looking for a ticket out of Cleveland, according to Calvin Watkins of AOL Sports FanHouse.
“I never said I wanted to go,” Edwards told FanHouse. “The Browns tried to put a trade out there. It’s always about progress in any level of sport. It will always be business.
“Trades happen, releases happen, I never took it personal. They thought highly enough of me to ask for a lot and in doing so, the Giants couldn’t give the Browns what they wanted. It’s a business.”
The former Pro Bowl receiver skidded to 55 receptions for 873 yards and three touchdowns last season after catching 16 touchdowns and piling up 1,279 receiving yards the previous year.
Now, Edwards is looking forward to a chance to rebuild his reputation as he transitions to a demanding new coach in former New York Jets boss Eric Mangini.
“I do feel like it’s a fresh start for everybody,” Edwards said. “Fresh start for the quarterbacks [Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson] and coach Mangini. Fresh start for me coming off a subpar year and it’s time to show people what I can do. Everybody is excited.”
Well, they will be if Edwards performs the way he did two years ago when he was one of the most dangerous downfield threats in the league.