New England Patriots training camp: 4 standouts after 4 days of practice
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
4. Julian Edelman
Edelman came up gimping a bit at the end of yesterday’s session, prompting an injury scare. However, no bad reports have come out of Foxboro concerning Edelman’s health, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
Edelman’s battles with Malcolm Butler have been widely reported, and it’s great to hear. Yesterday, Edelman made an incredible diving catch with Butler in coverage; afterward, he spun the ball at Butler’s feet. Good competition, no hard feelings. That’s what training camp is all about.
In the four one-on-one matchups between Edelman and Butler yesterday, Edelman won three.
More from Patriots News
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
- Breaking down the Patriots’ options in the 2023 NFL Draft
- Special DraftKings Massachusetts Promo Code for NFL Draft – Get $150 on ANY $5 Bet
Perhaps the highest praise Edelman has received thus far has been from Butler himself, who essentially said that the star receiver talks the talk and walks the walk. No one talks trash quite like Edelman, and it’s because he backs it up.
Edelman has been the favorite target of both Brady and Garoppolo in Patriots training camp. It appears that his outstanding efforts in the Pats’ playoff run are not getting to his head, but rather giving Edelman confidence that he is a top-10 receiver in the league.
If you told a Patriots fan in April of 2009 that their seventh round pick, quarterback Julian Edelman out of Kent State, would be the team’s best wide receiver six years later, you would have gotten a puzzling look in return. But after four impressive practices to start the 2015 season, Edelman surely looks the part.
Next: 3. Aaron Dobson