Julian Edelman was fitted for his Patriots Hall of Fame jacket on Friday, in preparation for his induction on Saturday, alongside legendary coach Bill Parcells. Edelman was one of the most reliable slot options at wide receiver in team history, spending 12 years in new England and tallying 620 catches for 6,822 yards, along with three Super Bowl rings.
Edelman was also a teammate of current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, and has not been shy to weigh in on the state of the franchise. He said he is excited by the outlook of the team but is reeling back on predictions of the playoffs, as the obvious holes in this roster have shown themselves. This, he said, might not be a playoff team after all.
“Impressions are, they definitely looked like they improved from Week 1 to Week 2,” Edelman said Friday from the Patriots Hall of Fame after his jacket-fitting. “I think it’s going to be a long process. Rome wasn’t built overnight. Like I just explained, it’s very tough to win in this game.”
Patriots Getting Offensive Improvement
Edelman did see improvements in an offense that went from putting up 13 points in the opener against the Raiders to 33 points in beating the Dolphins.
“I’m excited with where the offense is going,” Edelman said. “You look at their numbers last week, compared with the week before and I think they were 7-for-13 or 12 on third down, 3-of-4 in the red area. So, those are like the key things I like to look at to see if a team is improving, at least offensively.
“If they continue to do that and worry about what’s on their plate, right now, each week, which Vrabel is the kind of guy who has that mentality, that mindset, I expect them to do good things.”
Ah, but again, the playoffs might be too much to ask.
“Making the playoffs, I don’t know,” Edelman said. “But I don’t think it’s a bad year if they don’t.”
Julian Edelman: Drake Maye ‘Looking More Comfortable’
Edelman explained, too, that there is a lot being placed on Drake Maye, the second-year quarterback. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was in the same role when Edelman got into the league, and he knows the offense is no picnic.
“Drake Maye, he’s looking a lot more comfortable to me. He’s looking like he’s processing,” Edelman said. “He’s looking like he’s throwing with his feet under him, which is a big part of playing quarterback. Consider he is going into his second system, his second year.
“Those operational skills in a Josh McDaniels offense are completely different than what he did the year before and it’s probably more demanding for the quarterback — getting the play call in, establishing the personnel, communicating the play, getting to the line of scrimmage, taking a pre-snap read of the front, the coverage, taking a post-snap, all while making sure your guys are set. That’s a lot of work.”
Patriots’ Julian Edelman Offers Blunt View on Mike Vrabel’s Team