DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Pat Mac calls out Edwards

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/16458916.htm

Braylon, do your job
Fans simply want Edwards to play hard, represent Browns with class
By Patrick McManamon
The day after the season ended, Browns coach Romeo Crennel had this to say about Braylon Edwards: ``I don't know what people want from the guy.''

That's really not a difficult question to answer.

People want him to:

• Catch the ball.

Receivers have some fundamental requirements. The first is to catch the pass when it's thrown their way.

• Be where he's supposed to be.

Both on the field and off.

Be where the team and the quarterback expects you to be.

Off the field, show up to meetings on time.

On the field, get to the spot.

Bernie Kosar once explained the passing game this way: A quarterback's job is to throw the ball to the spot it's intended. A receiver's job is to win and get to that spot. There's not enough time for anything else. Throw it to the spot, be at the spot.

So win the little battles and get to the spot.

• Lay out for the ball, and when it's needed, be a defender.

On some throws this season, Edwards stood and watched as a pass turned into a turnover. On others, Edwards watched as a pass sailed by him. At times it seemed he'd turn casual if a ball wasn't right to him.

It's not always an easy notion, but it's a simple idea: When the ball is in the air, be like the Tasmanian Devil in pursuit of it.

• Finally, be a professional.

That's it. Just be a professional.

The Browns' public statements indicate the team seems perplexed at the frustration fans feel toward Edwards.

Guess the forest won't let them see the trees.

In defense of Edwards, few in the league worked as hard as he did to come back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He was in the facility every day in the offseason, and he did not miss a practice or a down due to injury.

That's not an easy task.

His numbers -- 61 catches for 884 yards and six touchdowns -- were pretty good considering his knee injury and the team's pitiful offense. Off the field, he's also pledged a lot of money to fund the education of inner-city Cleveland kids.

But at his season-ending news conference this past week, General Manager Phil Savage praised Edwards for catching two deep passes down the sidelines against the Houston Texans even though he was out of bounds.

He also said the Browns need to communicate to Edwards that ``we understand some of the pressures that he's under.

``The fact that he's gotten a boat load of money and he's a Michigan Wolverine playing in an Ohio State town,'' Savage said.

Give Savage credit for being honest and telling the truth as he sees it, but this sure seems like a curious analysis.

Edwards -- so far -- seems like the classic case of the player who wants it both ways. He wants the money and the fame, but then does not live up to all the responsibility.

Make no mistake: Edwards' actions this season affected the status of former wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, who served the Browns well since he was hired by Butch Davis in 2001.

Go around the league and ask players and almost all will stand up for Robiskie. Marcus Allen once said he made the Hall of Fame because of Robiskie.

During the season, Robiskie acknowledged Edwards' talent, but also challenged the receiver to stop doing what he was doing. At one point, he even told Edwards if he didn't quit his antics it might get him fired.

Look what happened.

A trip to www.braylonedwards.com (many players have web sites these days) starts with a cartoon of Edwards dashing and darting his way to a 32-yard touchdown on fourth-and-25 to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers (alas, that did not happen in real life).

There's also a photo gallery, with Edwards playing golf, Edwards profiled in a sport coat (black and white and color versions), Edwards looking pensive in a pink tie, Edwards with no shirt holding a football, Edwards with no shirt and shoulder pads, Edwards with -- well -- you get the idea.

Then there's his TV show on Fox's cable network, Braylon Edwards Under the Helmet. One of the first episodes detailed how unhappy Edwards was when he was not drafted by the Miami Dolphins and how angry he was at the Browns' contract negotiations. One of the later episodes actually spent time on his flatulence when he was getting a massage -- so I'm told.

Edwards had hired all kinds of advisers before he was drafted, and proclaimed his good looks.

So to say that he has pressures -- well this clearly is a man who enjoys his celebrity -- and to say that one of them is being a Michigan guy playing in Cleveland really is irrelevant.

Does anyone truly think a Browns fan would give a hoot where he played if he was performing, being a professional and helping the team win?

To Savage and the Browns, it's a matter not of ego or discipline but maturity.

``I can speak from my own experience,'' Savage said. ``I know a lot more about this job and a lot more of what I think it takes to be successful than I did two years ago. My personal reaction is that I'm going to go home and be more introspective.

``Another person's evaluation of themselves might have them make a public display or chirp to the media about a problem.''

Perhaps the Browns are right, and Edwards does not need more discipline. He clearly has the talent to succeed in the NFL. But the problem is that all the external stuff obscures the good -- that Edwards is a pleasant fellow and a pretty good player.

``He is a good person and comes from a good family,'' Savage said. ``You don't do what you do at Michigan and have the kind of reputation you have and be a bad guy.''

So prove it.

Prove it by catching the ball, showing up on time, removing the focus from yourself and playing football.

Fans will come around.

Media will stop criticizing.

The good things will stand out.

And the team might win.

It's really not a complex proposition.

Amen Pat. With some success, fans will forget his past transgressions. I'll forget real quick that he went to Michigan. Hell, if we had Tom Brady on this team, would anyone care that he want to Michigan? Edwards brought a lot, if not all, of this on himself. JMHO

This is exactly why I think Pat Mac is by far the best browns beat writer and it ain't even close ... he is a GREAT WRITER in every sense of the word and could write about anything and do it well ... PERIOD ... he PRESENTS all the INFO not just that witch makes his side of the story ... he has INTEGRITY in a proffesion with a HUGE LACK of it ...

I am 50/50 in agreeing with what he usually says .. but he does it FAILRY and ACCURATELY and that is all U can really hope for .. a FAIR SHAKE ..

this one i happen to agree with ... i HOPE that Brey GROWS UP .. I have said it a few times .. this is a HUGE OFF SEASON for Brey ... more so OFF the field that ON ..

This is a great article.

About time someone says it. And I am SO sick of the free pass Crennel has given the boy; I know that Romeo tries to keep everything and probably too much in house but there is a time for some public discipline when a player is being a child.

More of the problem is that things have snowballed for BE. He hasn't been a complete ass since he's been here.

I don't remember any problems with him last year at all.

He just needs to shut his mouth and produce. I hope that he comes back much better; I just don't see what a 75% healthy knee has to do with butterfingers! I don't see how that is going to help him catch the ball better.

Robo couldn't put BE's actions as fault for his termination. He has been spoiling receivers for years! And I gratefully accept his transition to Cinci because I hope he shows CJ and TJ how to drop easy passes like he did to QM, BE, DN, and several others.

Savage said. ``You don't do what you do at Michigan and have the kind of reputation you have and be a bad guy.''

I like Savage but this may be the dumbest statement he has ever made. Lets see what was Edwards rep at Michigan.

Runs lazy routes hmm check
late for meetings and pracitce hmm check
drops to many passes hmm check

Straight up Pat ! .. Way to go .. To bad Savage & RAC. don't put it out " Sraight up " ! .. Oh yea, that go's for you too Lerner !

Great article by PatMac - glad somebody tells it like it is.

Savage makes me puke in the way he coddles and protects his boy. Poor Edwards is young and he has that Michigan thing in Ohio territory. What a bunch of BS. Go sell it somewhere else Phil.

Well done Pat...I come down hard on you when you're a bozo

But I got to give you Props when you are on target... Good job Pat...too bad you don't read here anymore.

Every single receiver drops a ball sometimes,,, it happens, Over the years, even the best of the best have dropped a few.

Braylon seems more prone to dropping the important, game changing balls...

For a number 3 pick and a guy who's been paid a bunch with a bunch more coming,,, it's time he took his job seriously,,,,

In that regard, that is what we should be expecting from Braylon,,,, RAC, if you want to know,, that's it.

Your post is way off on many levels.

It isn't the coaching staff giving Leon a free pass. And Robo doesn't spoil receivers, in fact, some of the negativity Robo came under fire for was that he challenged Leon. Leon balked.

Savage is babying the kid. Playing for Michigan and making a lot of money are problems? GMAFB!!! It's statements like those that make me doubt Savage even more.

Leon's biggest problems are how he views himself and others. And believe me, he isn't well-liked in the locker room. That one made me choke. The guy has acted like a jerk. I hope he changes his ways. Some guys do....but I don't think being babied, making excuses for him, and firing coaches who call him out.........are going to send the proper message.

We'll see............

So what if he hates it, and if that is the case then he has more maturity problems then we ALL realize...His job right now it to be a WR for the Cleveland Browns, no one cares where he played college ball other then some homers, so maybe he should man up and deal with this just like so many others have done in the past present and future... This is a lame ass excuse and doesn't hold any real validity in my book... It's nonsense... He needs to grow up plain and simple being young isn't an excuse for being stupid...

I've spent the morning and some of the afternoon thinking aboutb this thread while I've been doing chores and errands.

I've been trying to tally up the facts and come to some conclusions based on the facts.

First off, we are stuck with Braby for at least one more year because of his cap hit and it does us no good to just bench him. We need his skills and talents and we are paying a fair amount of cabbage for them.

Therefore, we need to find a way to connect and reach this guy and turn his negatives into positives. (I think thats more productive than simply trying to limit the damage he can do)

Ya'll will excuse me if I think it's the job of the Receivers Coach and not the GM or the HC to have to deal with him. A GM and a HC have more more to deal with than a WR acting like a baby.

Thus, I see the new WR coach has his job cut out for him.. motivating this guy (on a non contract year to boot) and turning him around so that he is a asset to the team and a feared competitor that forces defenses to re-think their game plans.

I hope it can happen because if it doesn't, I'm okay with making a trade and taking a smaller cap hit next year and helping the guy get his luggage into the taxi out of town.

i hope braylon read that...

there wasn't one piece of information in that article that was untrue or unfair, he hit the nail right on the head...

he has the talent, i don't think anyone can really doubt that, but he plays with no intensity at all, you can argue that he hasn't had a great quarterback throwing to him, but he sure hasn't helped any of our quarterbacks' cause...

sure, he's a michigan guy playing in an ohio city, but if he were catching passes, and being a model teammate, nobody in cleveland would care where he played his college ball... i certainly don't, once you put on the orange and brown, you're one of us, and if you give us just a little, and do it with class, we're behind you 100%

In the middle pic he looks more like a backup dancer for Britney Spears than a football player...

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It probably does bug Edwards that he's in OSU territory, just as it bugs me when I'm here and I have to deal with Cinci and Pukesburgh idiots. I know that if I played for Ohio State and played in Michigan territory I'd hate it too.

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There's a real easy solution to this situation.

It's called "growing up." As soon as he does that, he'll realize that his loyalties ought to be with the group that made him an instant millionaire just 2 short years ago... and embrace the Orange & Brown instead of Maize & Blue.

I expect no less from any OSU player, as well.

Savage says that he's a good kid from a good family. I'll take his word for it. Lots of basically good young people do and say stupid things. That's why we have that old cliche: "Youth- it's wasted on the Young."

I was basically a "good kid" way back when. Did some strupid stuff, too. That's when my Pops would cuff me upside the back of my head, and call me a "knucklehead." Now, 20 years later, I reserve the right to call Edwards a "knucklehead" when he acts like one.

I straightened my act out with a little growing up. I don't doubt that Edwards can, as well. Whether he will remains to be seen. I've seen him in interviews, rtc... he seems bright, articulate and self-assured. All good attributes- unless they morph into smatass, mouthy, and cocky.

Only he gets to detrmine what we see. Either way, he'll undoubtedly hear about it from us fans- for better or worse.

Saint, great post and you echo my feelings and thoughts as well.

I haven't listened to Savage's presser yet, but just from these quotes I lost a lot of respect for him. Lost even more respect for RAC after his comment as well. My stomach is starting to turn already thinking about next year.

I went over and checked out B-Easy's website. It's actually pretty cool on the surface. And although he didn't want to be here, at least he's using the Browns colors.

The pictures are fairly disturbing. The term narcissistic comes to mind.

His pro highlight reel looks like it was all from his rookie year. I actually thought he had a really good rookie year and those highlights confirm that. I actually don't remember him dropping a ball that year although I'm sure it happened. His rookie year was actually better than his second year.

Anyway, here's to hoping he gets it figured out.

Nice read Ytown, very accurate article.

damn straight, Lebron, he's a PRO football player now, not a college kid anymore. It's time for him to act like a pro or get out of town. If he does not want to be here then he will not give 100% no matter what. IF that's the case then after next season we need to trade him.

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First off, we are stuck with Braby for at least one more year because of his cap hit

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Not true... I know alot of you think you have the salary cap all figured out, but in reality it's nothing more then speculation on your part... I don't claim to be a cap specialist and never have, but you guys think you know everything about this guys contract, and it's wrong... I wish you guys would stop trying to pass this stuff off as fact, because it's not, it's just a guess on your part, and guessing about something doesn't make anyone smarter...

Good Lord...

The first and third pics look like ads for a Tuxedo rental store...the first good be a promo for a funeral director' business.

I thought the middle picture screamed future prison bitch... But I guess backup dancer for Brittney Spears fits just as well...

I'm thinking the comic relief sidekick in a bad action movie, or a recurring character on the Fresh Prince of Belair.

How does he not know? Because idiots like Savage keep making excuses for him. Having money and playing for Michigan......get the [censored] outta here. Firing coaches for this idiot.

And Saint.......you are better than that. We now need a personal baby sitter for Leon? I really think the world had gone insane.

And those pictures. OMG.......tell me I wasn't dead-on when I nicknamed him Leon? I don't know whether to laugh........or cry.

I am glad to see Pat's smack here. BE sukked and needed too hear it. We handed him games and he dropped it. Yet I see Savage talking about the future, West Coast, and this mouth is our future? Reaally? I see where this season comes from now, and DoKtor Phil must have been part of the probs. This boy BE needs a trip to the woodshed. And I don't think coming to Cleveland suddenly soured him.
Da Browns: Turn the corner! Mercilessly crush opponents! Maybe in Madden . . .

Okay.......let me try again.

Someone, namely Robo, already tried that w/him. Leon basically told him to go [censored] himself, along w/every other player and coach who tried constructive and sometimes not so constructive criticism.

Leon is Opie's boy. Robo gets fired. What you are suggesting was already attempted and did NOT work. I think Opie has reinforced a negative behavior.

So, what's left.............hire a WR coach who will kiss his ass? Dude, you have no idea how sick the players are of Leon already. If you think this story is going to have a happy ending............well.....be prepared to be disappointed.

I personally think the organization should have come down hard on Leon and hoped he learned that he needed to change his ways. Savage has handled this poorly.........but, we'll see. I could be wrong.

General reply: It has to kill him to hear "Hang On Sloopy" every home game.

Maturity or not, you never forget rivalries. I STILL hate Chagrin Falls and Robiskie, for example. And Biskie's a Buckeye now.

IMO

Robo got fired because it became apparent that with him as WR coach, our receivers were never living up to their potential. With him we've been through a lot of receivers and none of them really became great players.

All of them have let key drops get away from them, lets not forget when A. Bryant was notorious for dropping key passes. Quincy Morgan, Andra Davis--these guys all had problems consistently catching the ball.

BE seems more of a pedigree wide-out, but he's still facing the same lapse's in concentration.

So Robo gets the axe.

And in BE's defense, I think he had a decent year for coming off a knee injury that occurred late last season. The off-the-field stuff can be chalk up to youth, and its nothing really serious. Pacman Jones has serious off-the-field issues, the Cincinnati Bengals have serious off-the-field issues----Braylon Edwards doen not have serious off-the-field issues.

He is young and needs to learn more to be a better football player, I still think he can be a great addition to the team.

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It has to kill him to hear "Hang On Sloopy" every home game.

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Dude, you are incredible.

IMO..........you have proven in the past that you are friends w/Leon. True, or not?

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Robo got fired because it became apparent that with him as WR coach, our receivers were never living up to their potential. With him we've been through a lot of receivers and none of them really became great players.

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Hmmmmmmmmmm........name former Brown's receivers who went to other teams and got better under these supposedly better WR coaches?

I've asked that question to others and am still waiting for an answer. Bet you will ignore it too.

I smoke buds with Leon all the time, Leons my dude.

LOL.........good answer.

But, you still didn't address all those wide receivers who got better after they left Robo and were coached under "good wide receiver coaches."

Maybe I've had too many beers, but I just went to www.braylonedwards.com
and sent a message to him. I asked to be on time, think before he speaks, and play his heart out for US!!!! Do you think he will read it? LOL
You guys do the same!
Remember, be respectful. He's sensative.