By Joe Milicia
the associated press
BEREA, Ohio – Rookie Braylon Edwards was all smiles in the Cleveland Browns locker room yesterday, and for good reason.
His quick recovery from an infection in his right arm may put him back in the Cleveland Browns’ lineup sooner than expected.
“I’m happy that it was fixed,” Edwards said rubbing his arm occasionally. “It could have went a different direction. I’m just happy to be healthy and back.”
Edwards practiced with the team yesterday on a limited basis and was listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
“I’m not ruling Braylon out of this game,” Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
The wide receiver has missed two games and had been expected to miss at least a month.
Edwards, the No. 3 overall draft pick, was hospitalized for four days following surgery Oct. 8 to cut out an infection in his right arm. He was back in the locker room for the first time yesterday, his right arm wrapped from his wrist to above his elbow, covering 15 stitches in a 9-inch incision.
The infection came as he was starting to establish himself in the Browns offense. He has nine catches for 166 yards and leads the team with an average of 18.4 yards per catch.
Edwards had an 80-yard touchdown in a win at Green Bay, showing his big play potential – something the Browns haven’t had in years.
Edwards spoke optimistically yesterday, saying he still can have a solid rookie year. He said he never got frustrated or scared because of the infection.
“It was a joke to me when they said they had to do surgery. I said, ‘Are you serious?’ I laughed,” he said. “I woke up out of surgery and asked, ‘What was the score of the Michigan game?'”
He couldn’t have been happy to learn that Michigan had lost to Minnesota, but it’s been good news since for Edwards.
Doctors still haven’t determined what type of infection he has, but have ruled out a staph infection, which would have sidelined him longer.
“They won’t know how serious it could have been until they finish growing the culture,” Edwards said of the infection. “But the bottom line is it wasn’t serious and it’s over with.”
He still doesn’t know how he got the infection.
Edwards didn’t lose any weight while in the hospital and actually may have gained a few pounds.
“I had a couple good home cooked meals while I was out,” Edwards said.
Edwards played catch with Antonio Bryant during practice and participated in warmups, wearing an elbow sleeve over the incision.
Whether Edwards plays Sunday will depend on if he can withstand contact during practice this week and if he has any irritation in his arm, he said.
“Naturally, as a competitor I feel like I can go now,” he said. “But it’s not up to me. It’s not up to what I feel. It’s up to the stitches. It’s up to the healing.”
Edwards would love to play against the Lions, his hometown team, and said a lot of friends and family want to come to the game.
“I’m not trying to force to play just because it’s Detroit,” he said. “I’m trying to plan the long run. I’m trying to have 10, nine games left that I can play at full speed instead of one at half and get hurt.”
