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So will the Jets be able to keep both Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards? Well, we think they can, if you look at both players from the following perspective –
And think about it – what team is going to give big money to a player that is one strike away. What a PR disaster that could be for some GM – signing the player to big-money and then losing him for a year.
I can’t think of many teams that will touch Holmes. The Jets feel they can handle him, other teams don’t.
Braylon is not everyone’s cup of tea. First of all, we all know about the Cleveland nightclub fight and the NYC DUI, but also, he was with Dante Stallworth partying at the Fountainbleu Hotel, the night his fellow wide receiver killed a man driving drunk on South Beach.
While you can’t blame Edwards for what happened, the fact that he was out with Stallworth that fateful night, doesn’t help his reputation.
These guys are both somewhat moody and both need to be handled with kids gloves. A lot of teams won’t want to deal with their myriad moods.
Reporters go over to their lockers walking on egg shells.
I’m not saying player-media relationships matter in football decisions, but I’m just trying to point out the aura around both of them.
Remember, Pittsburgh traded Holmes for fifth round pick in what amounted to a fire sale. They basically gave away a Super Bowl MVP, in his prime, to a conference rival for next to nothing.
They got tired of the moodiness. He also blew some game assignments and was late for a few meetings.
The point I’m making is simple – these two aren’t going to encounter a ton of interest in free agency, and this is going to help the Jets, if they want to bring both back.
Clearly Holmes is higher on the Jets priority list. The Jets added and developed 6-5 (actually a little over), 225-pound Patrick Turner last year for a reason. I’m not saying he’s as good as Edwards, but he can help fill the big receiver role if Braylon leaves. Remember, he was Mark Sanchez’s favorite target at USC. While the Miami Dolphins aren’t fans of his work, the Jets seem to legitimately like him, and he came in already have great chemistry with Sanchez.
The Jets also had 6-2 Logan Payne on their practice squad last year, another big target.
On the other hand, they don’t have another receiver with world class speed like Holmes on the roster.
Draft picks Jeremy Kerley and Scotty McKnight have good, not great speed. Both are more quick than fast.
Holmes can flat fly. The Jets don’t have anybody else like that currently on the wide receiver depth chart.
The point here is simple. When the free agency free-for-all starts once the CBA is ironed out, don’t expect these guys to get a ton of interest.
Not due to a lack of a talent, but because of their mercurial natures.
And this should help the Jets keep both of them, if they so chose.
