Earlier today, MDS pointed out that 49ers receiver Braylon Edwards had announced on his official website that he had been waived by the team. Edwards blamed the move on a knee injury that required additional rehab, and that kept him from properly fitting in with the offense.
Still, the move makes little sense, coming with only one regular-season game remaining. If Edwards was still injured, the 49ers could have put him on injured reserve. If he isn’t injured, the 49ers could have just kept him around for one more week.
Since he signed a one-year deal, Edwards would have been a free agent in March. And if/when he would have signed with a new team as a free agent, Edwards’ departure would have factored in to the compensatory pick formula.
As it now stands, the Niners could have to pay Edwards, if he files a successful injury grievance -- or if he chooses to take the final game check as termination pay. (Of course, if another team claims Edwards on waivers, the 49ers will be off the hook.) Either way, it seems odd that the 49ers wouldn’t have kept him around for just a few more weeks, given that it could have .
Unless, of course, the 49ers decided that Edwards was, for example, a major pain in the butt and no longer wanted him around.