Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards had a breakout season last year and now entering his fourth year in the league is poised to have a blockbuster season in 2008.

This will be quarterback Derek Anderson's and Edwards' second year playing together in the offense of Rob Chudzinski who is expected to open up the playbook and unleash a major air attack on opposing defenses featuring their All-Pro receiver.

Record season?

Edwards is having one of his best training camps since being drafted by the team and is looking to translate that performance to the playing field on Sundays — and Mondays — this fall.

Should he remain healthy and the offense prospers, this could turn out to be a magical season not only for the receiver but the Browns.

There are those within the organization who believe that Edwards could have the kind of season that would threaten Jerry Rice's single season receiving record of 1,848 yards.

The next plateau

You are starting to hear Edwards' name being mentioned with some of the upper echelon receivers in the league such as Randy Moss and Terrell Owens etc, and rightfully so.

In 2007, Edwards caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns to earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He finished seventh in the league in receiving yards and second in touchdowns behind Moss. He also finished second in yards per catch 16.1 among receivers with 80 or more catches. Owens led the league with 16.7 yards per catch.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Edwards is blessed with size, breakaway speed and outstanding leaping ability to out jump any defender going up for a pass in coverage. He has a quick first step and shows good separation. Edwards is a fluent route runner, a long strider, with nice hands and is very athletic. He's intelligent with flawless technique and has a tremendous work ethic.

Edwards had some problems early in his career with dropped passes thrown over the middle. He's worked hard to improve in that area and it showed in practice when he snatched every pass thrown his way out of the air over the middle in heavy traffic.

Aside from his toughness crossing the middle, Edwards brings an added dimension to the team's offense that coaches cannot teach. He has "big play" ability.

There is no one cornerback in the league who can cover him one-on-one. He sees a lot of double-teams and still manages to get open.

It would be wise for any defense facing him to play a safety over the top. Edwards is a threat to take it to the house on any given play.

Edwards has grown

The thing that stood out most about Edwards during my time in Browns training camp was not so much what he did on the field. He was all that, but how he interacted with teammates in between plays. It was very interesting to see how a young player like Edwards relished in his role as a leader.

Browns officials feel that Edwards has matured a lot over the past two years. He's unselfish and has taken all of the young receivers under his wing. Edwards takes the time to talk to them about effort and being the best.

I watched as the younger players took in every word he said and how they looked to him for guidance. I've been around some 10-year veteran receivers and have never seen the type of command that Edwards displayed with the team's receiving corps.

Edwards is described as one of the toughest competitors that the organization has ever seen. That competitive nature has lifted the game of other guys on the team. He's learned a lot from guys like Willie McGinest and even from watching Jamal Lewis prepare for the grind of the season. Edwards has a great approach to the game.

Well-oiled machine

The Cleveland Browns offense was quick and precise operating mostly out of the three wide receiver sets during training camp.

You saw a lot of timing and decoy routes with the sole mission to get Edwards vertical down the field. The offense executed well and the chemistry between Anderson and Edwards was like that of synchronized swimming. The efficient passing game showed some similarities to a true Bill Walsh ran West Coast offense.

Private eyes watching

Edwards is gaining Rock Star status in the city of Cleveland, which became evident as I watched fans parade around him one Saturday evening while attempting to have a relaxing dinner at Max and Erma's after a hard day's practice.

Edwards was bum rushed by a steady flow of inconsiderate fans asking for his autograph. He handled himself like a true professional and never turned anyone away. I'm sure this had to be very irritating for the player as well as for those around him.

I was told by some Browns faithfuls that the two biggest stars in Cleveland are LeBron James and Kellen Winslow Jr., but Edwards is well on his way. Fans have fallen in love with him!