The New York Jets reached an agreement with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday to acquire troubled but talented wide receiver Braylon Edwards.
The Jets sent wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik and undisclosed draft choices to the Browns for the deep threat they had been lacking. Edwards will combine with Jerricho Cotchery to give rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez two proven playmakers as starting wide receivers.
Edwards, in his fifth season, has 10 receptions for 139 yards but was held to no catches for the first time in his career in the winless Browns' 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. His best season came in 2006, when he had 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns.
The former first-round pick out of Michigan comes with his share of off-field issues. The NFL is investigating whether he violated the league's conduct policy following accusations he assaulted a man outside a nightclub. Cleveland police are also looking into the incident.
The Jets, off to a 3-1 start, had been looking to replace Laveranues Coles in the starting lineup after allowing him to become a free agent in the offseason. They were looking into former Giants star Plaxico Burress' legal status before the draft, and the Jets were mentioned in possible trade talks with Denver's Brandon Marshall.
San Francisco also filed tampering charges against the Jets in September, claiming New York was looking into wide receiver Michael Crabtree, the 49ers' top draft pick. The league is still investigating those charges.
Edwards allegedly punched promoter Edward Givens, a friend of NBA star LeBron James, early Monday morning following an argument in downtown Cleveland.
Although Edwards hasn't been charged with a crime, the league's conduct policy states that discipline may be imposed for "the use or threat of violence."
Edwards has been involved in other off-field incidents. In March, Edwards was partying with suspended Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth in Miami the night Stallworth later drove drunk and killed a pedestrian. Edwards was not with Stallworth at the time.
Last November, Edwards was fined $150 and given 30 hours of community service after he was found guilty of driving 120 mph.
It's the second major trade the Jets have made with the Browns and Eric Mangini, their former coach. On the first day of the draft in April, New York acquired the fifth overall pick from Cleveland to select Sanchez for its first-round pick, its second-rounder (No. 52), and defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam and quarterback Brett Ratliff.
Stuckey, who won the No. 2 receiver spot opposite Cotchery out of training camp, has 11 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. He was a seventh-round draft pick out of Clemson in 2007, but missed his first season with a foot injury. Stuckey had 32 receptions last season, catching three touchdown passes from Brett Favre.
Trusnik, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio Northern in 2007, is a special teams ace and backup linebacker. He was selected as the AFC's special teams player of the week last week after forcing and recovering a fumble on a kickoff in the Jets' 24-17 win over Tennessee.
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