New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) against the Denver Broncos in the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots top two impending free agents are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman, and there have been many heated debates regarding which one is more important for the team to re-sign. Edelman had the better 2013 season, but Talib is viewed as the more important player as the team’s No. 1 corner. He also has more raw talent and plays a more difficult position, and that overcomes the fact that Edelman is the more reliable player.
But I’m sure the Patriots would love to re-sign both and find enough cap space to accomplish that. Although Edelman and the Patriots didn’t have any reported contract discussions until a few days ago, it looks like talks are heating up big-time ahead of the official start of free agency on the 11th.
Per a “team source” close to CSNNE’s Mike Giardi, there is a “strong push” within the Patriots front office to re-sign Edelman, and Giardi adds that the Patriots coaches unsurprisingly “love his work ethic”.
Edelman hauled in 105 passes for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns in a breakout season, and the 27-year-old is the most reliable wide receiver on the free agent market. Teams in need of a slot receiver who can star on punt returns and has enough long speed to stretch the field deep will likely go hard after him, and there’s a lot to love about Edelman. It would be a disappointment to see him walk away from the Patriots, because he fits the team and organization perfectly. Danny Amendola was a lot better than most people think, but the Patriots would have a pretty big hole at WR if their most productive wideout weren’t re-signed.