New England Patriots: Julian Edelman named impact player returning
The New England Patriots wide receiver group is going to look a lot different in 2018 compared to 2017. The Patriots saw multiple departures from the group and will be welcoming in plenty of new faces.
Danny Amendola decided to leave New England in free agency. He signed with the rival Miami Dolphins. Brandin Cooks played one season in New England before being traded for the second consecutive offseason. Last season the Patriots acquired Cooks from the New Orleans Saints, this offseason they shipped him off to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Patriots made multiple moves to replace them. Cordarrelle Patterson was acquired via trade with the Oakland Raiders. Jordan Matthews was signed in free agency. Braxton Berrios was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NBA Draft.
The only holdover that made much of an impact last season was Chris Hogan. Kenny Britt and Phillip Dorsett both played sparingly.
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The Patriots wide receiver depth chart is deep and talented. While Amendola and Cooks were both productive last season, they have the players to replace them. One of the players who will help is Julian Edelman.
Edelman missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL. His presence was missed as Edelman is a safety blanket for Tom Brady working underneath and the middle of the field. In the two seasons that Edelman played all 16 games in the regular season, he broke 1,000 yards receiving.
That kind of performance isn’t easy to replace. That is partly why Edelman was named an impact player for 2018 that is returning from injury. Pro Football Focus compiled the list. Here is what they said about Edelman.
"The Patriots came close to winning another Super Bowl last season and managed that without one of Tom Brady’s top targets in Edelman. Back healthy, Edelman is poised to once again dominate from the slot. Back in 2016, Edelman ranked first among wide receivers with at least 30 targets from an inside alignment with a 2.42 yards per route run average."
Getting Edelman back into the lineup will help improve the Patriots already dynamic offense. As PFF mentioned, he is one of the best in the NFL out of the slot, giving the Patriots another advantage on that side of the ball.
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Edelman is yet another weapon at Brady’s disposal along with a deep, talented wide receiver group and tight end, Rob Gronkowski. Edelman will need some time to shake off the rust but there is no denying that he will help New England’s offense.