Getty A New England Patriots' Super Bowl winner is helping out Brian Daboll and the New York Giants.
ANew England Patriots’ great helping out the New York Giants has a tinge of bitter irony. Especially since the Giants denied the Pats in two Super Bowls, notably wrecking the hopes of a perfect season for the 18-0 Patriots in 2007.
Julian Edelman played in the second of those defeats, following the 2011 season, but the player who went on to to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy three times with the Patriots is sharing his knowledge with the old enemy.
Yet, it’s not as if Edelman is betraying any past loyalties. He’s simply willing to “share his knowledge” about the schemes of Giants’ head coach and former Patriots’ assistant Brian Daboll, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Schwartz reported how Edelman “was a guest of Daboll on the sideline” during training camp on Monday, August 7. The guest became an active participant when Edelman engaged in lengthy and detailed conversations with Giants’ wideouts Parris Campbell and Cole Beasley, per Schwartz: “After the final whistle, Edelman huddled with Campbell, Beasley, wide receivers coach Mike Groh and a few others before leaving town.”
Apparently it was all innocent, with Campbell dishing the dirt on the exchange by revealing, “we were talking through a specific play that we just put in. Dabes was raving about it, and he said (Edelman) was the reason that we have to put it in. So, we were just kind of talking through that a little bit. He’s one of the best to do it, and always good to get some insight from him.”
The idea of Daboll putting in a play for the Giants based on what Edelman could do is intriguing on a number of levels. Not least because of their history together in New England, but also because Edelman might have become a Giant.
Patriots’ Legend Almost Became a Giant
It’s a classic case of what might have been that “Edelman nearly signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2013 but instead stayed with the Patriots,” according to Schwartz. Had he opted to sign with Big Blue, Edelman might have struggled to emerge from among a receiving corps still headlined by 1,000-yard pair Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz at the time.
Fate played a hand when Edelman’s decision to stay at Gillette Stadium saw him go from one-time qaurterback who transitioned to wide receiver at Kent State, to becoming Tom Brady’s favorite target in the clutch.
Edelman’s flair for producing when it counted most was embodied by him having produced the second-most receptions and yards in playoff history at the time of his retirement, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.
Julian Edelman in the playoffs: Second-most catches (118) & yards (1442) in history. Played in 5 Super Bowls, won 3 + has a SB MVP.
And he came in clutch over & over: TD pass to Amendola vs. Baltimore, go-ahead TD vs. Seattle, and the catch vs. Atlanta.
Travis Kelce, perennial All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has since surpassed Edelman in the postseason yardage department, but the latter’s legacy is secured.
Edelman’s is a legacy built upon routinely gashing defenses on intermediate routes within the middle of the numbers, often run from the slot. It’s a formula Daboll knows well and looks to be replicating with the Giants’ wideouts.
Brian Daboll Recreating Patriots’ Passing Game Blueprint
Daboll was offensive assistant then tight ends coach for the Pats from 2013-’16, during which time he saw firsthand how Edelman matured into a no. 1 receiver. The impression Edelman made appears to have been a lasting one, at least based on how Daboll’s been building the Giants’ options at receiver.
Campbell, Daboll favorite Beasley, veterans Sterling Shepard and Jamison Crowder, along with second-year pro Wan’Dale Robinson, all fit elements of Edelman’s profile. Namely, as slight, yet swift, subtle and tough slot-style receivers who thrive on the inside.
This is a quarterback-friendly collective that should offer Daniel Jones plenty of safety valves, the way Edelman helped Brady. Daboll knows what made the partnership click in New England, and the more input he can get from Edelman, the greater his chances are of replicating something similar for the Giants.
Although, most Patriots fans would probably rather Edelman limited his counsel to his former team.