Getty Cam Newton and Julian Edelman
Over the past 20 years, the list of New England Patriots players fans have loved more than Julian Edelman is probably one guy long, and that gentleman’s name is Tom Brady.
That should tell you all you need to know about where Edelman stands with Pats Nation. While the feels that come with Edelman are real, football is still a business. If no one else has shown us this year after year, it’s the Patriots’ head coach and general manager, Bill Belichick.
‘Edelman isn’t a Top Option Anymore.’
If Belichick believes the team would be better off without Edelman, for better or worse, the Hoodie will do what he thinks is best. FanSided’s Nick Villano thinks Edelman could be a cap casualty this offseason.
Villano went as far as to say, “Edelman isn’t a top option anymore.”
Villano’s take isn’t as simplistic as that; he also pointed out the likelihood Edelman may be yearning to reunite with Brady in Tampa. Villano seems to envision that reunion happening one way or another. He wrote:
Obviously, the Patriots would love to trade Edelman to the Bucs for something like they did with Rob Gronkowski, but it might not be in the cards after Edelman’s injury. The Patriots might do him a solid and just let him pick his next team, be it the defending Super Bowl champions or someone else. Edelman is owed just over $6 million next season, the last season on a two-year deal. If they cut Edelman, they’d still carry a $2.66 million cap charge, but the rest is saved by the franchise. This would be more helping out Edelman while finally seeing what is going on with the wide receiving corps. N’Keal Harry is facing the biggest make-or-break year in the NFL this season. He could finally show why he was a first-round pick, or he could be out of the league at this time next year.
While a release might upset some of the more hardcore Edelman fans, the blow might be softened by the smile on their hero’s face the first time we see him embrace Brady on social media while both are wearing Bucs gear.
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The Patriots Need Something Edelman No Longer Possesses
The Patriots are in dire need of a speed injection on both sides of the ball, especially at wide receiver. Edelman has always been a little quicker than fast. He turns 35 in May, and these days he neither as quick nor as fast as he was during his prime.
His signature drops (24 in the last 34 games) are even more costly without the greatest quarterback in history or other playmakers on offense to cover up the errors.
It would better serve New England to save the money they can by releasing Edelman–if they can’t trade him–and adding that to $62 million in cap room they already have to get younger and more dynamic on offense.
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