Rick McGlothlin, Drafttek.com Senior Writer

While the fans in Cleveland and New York debate the merits of the recent trade of Braylon Edwards to the Jets from the Browns, there probably will be a single answer that accomodates both: time.

Time will tell whether the move is a stroke of genius or the desperate grasp of coach that thinks one more tweak will consolidate his good fortune thus far. Either way, it will be the productivity of Braylon Edwards over the course of the remaining 12 games of the 2009 Jets season that determine the ulitimate  success or failure of the trade.

Jets fans, for the most part thus far, are optimistic. For Cleveland, the majority have long-ago tired of Edwards antics but realize the cupboard is nearly bare on offense already and this move leaves it more so. And most don’t believe adding wideout Stucky will mean that much for the ‘09 season ( let alone backup LB and Ohio-native Trusnik), so the whole trade won’t really make an impact until the 2010 NFL Draft. 

Those draft picks are really the meat of the trade  in the eyes of many in Cleveland. But even that has its downside, as many in Cleveland complain that this move should have been made in the off-season when Edwards had a higher value and Cleveland could’ve gained a potentially better return. So Mangini is being lined up again in the cross-hairs of fan contempt. At least some of them.

At first glance the addition of Braylon Edwards is just possibly the dimension the Jets were missing on offense. His ability to get downfield and stretch the defenses is what has been missing for New York in ‘09. With that ability comes a chance for the running game to expand into a more pivotal role. The Jets have faced an awful lot of 8 or 9 players crowding the line and daring Sanchez to throw to Cotchery or Keller, and no one else.

With Edwards, defenses will have to at least provide adequate coverage on the receiver even if he ultimately doesn’t hang onto the ball. Just his size and ability to get open force that upon opposing defenses. That equates to more space for the running backs just past the point of attack on either a run or a checkdown screen pass, the latter of which could prove deadly with Jones and Washington on the receiving end of a Sanchez toss.

At the same time it takes pressure away from Cotchery and Keller to be the main targets, and will especially allow Keller to roam more freely at times inside the soft zones or cover-2 shell. Cotchery will most certainly benefit as well in that the current double teams will stop and his ability to find the seams less restricted or clogged. Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez now has a long-ball threat and a guy who at least makes the defenses play more honest, giving him a better chance to go through his progressions and find the open receiver. It also perhaps gives offensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer a chance to broaden his selections of play calls within the playbook. Couple all of that with the success of the defense thus far and the offense will be in a position to create better opportunities to move the ball and put points on the board.

This is – at first glance – what may be possible. On paper.

The reality is the Browns saw in Edwards a guy who was more consistent being a distraction around the team than being a pro bowl caliber wideout. Though his off-field incidents are small and minor, taken together with the logic-defying antics within the clubhouse and outwardly to the media, they should give Jet fans some pause. It didn’t deter coach Rex Ryan and the GM because it fills a definite need in the short-term, and it cost them relatively little in comparison to some other high-profile trades in recent years. Certainly the N.Y. media will eat Edwards up and spit him out if he continues to allow the ball to hit the ground one too many times. Lord help Edwards if he drops anything in a game with the Patriots that ultimately leads to a loss against their hated rivals from New England.

So while the debate rages on regarding the trade, one thing remains certain: all of us will have to allow time to take its course. That means for the next 13 weeks Braylon Edwards (and by default, Rex Ryan) will be under the biggest microscope he’s ever been under in his career. Bigger than while at Michigan in college and certainly bigger than Cleveland. If he comes through it all and makes the Jets better, it could be the story of the year – not to mention the comeback of the year.

If not, well, let’s just say that the wrath he will begin to feel at that point will dwarf anything he has ever felt in the past from the fans in Cleveland, or even LeBron, for that matter.