Fencer

Edelman surely seems to have the talent for a Faulk-like RB role. But two questions would need favorable answers before he could actually assume it:

1. Can he take the hits?
2. Can he dish out the hits, specifically on blitz pickup?

Thoughts?

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Tunescribe

A resounding no to these questions. He simply is not built for it. He might be able to swing out of the backfield for passes and that's about it. If he ever ran a draw play on third down I'd be shocked.

satz

NO he does not have the size. He is a lighter version of reggie bush if you remember reggie bush a RB who was smaller had alot of issues running up the gut.

Edelman is good in space so get him there and throw him the ball.

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Triumph

Edelman is so successful out in space where he can utilize his speed and avoid hits.

One thing I would mind seeing is pass or two from him lined up at WR.

Box_O_Rocks

Perhaps. NE test drove him at RB in rookie camp, I believe they made the determination that his potential at WR would have a greater impact if he could make the transition and chose to focus his efforts there.

I doubt if they make a serious effort to bring him into the backfield going forward,
-- he's doing very nicely at WR,
-- his blocking on DBs upfield is good with room for improvement, but I wouldn't want him trying to step in front of Ray Lewis on a blitz anytime soon,
-- and finding another Sammy Morris jack of all RB duties to replace a NE 3rd down RB legend like Kevin Faulk is a lot easier than finding another WR with Welker-ish production potential.

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Fencer

Just to be clear -- since Faulk has proven he lacks the strength/toughness to be a feature back, I had no thoughts of Edelman being one. The question is whether Edelman can get up to the Faulk level, which is in effect "3rd-down black and stoner of LBs", the imprecision of "3rd-down" aside.

He has practiced a bit at RB, after all.

I'm guessing that Edelman could handle some snaps if Faulk were unavailable, but that he'd never be kept in to block if he did. And that would be, as it were, a significant drawback for him in the role.

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"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

Jared

I am on my iPhone, so pulling up the stats isn't easy. However, there are plenty of third down and scat backs with similar builds in the NFL who are successful in that role. However, I don't see Edelman ever being asked to play that role on more than an emergency basis unless he can add adequate blitz pick up to his repetoir. People love to note that Bradys injury occurred while Faulk was suspended.

It isn't impossible for Edelman to be groomed for that role in the future (and frankly I think he could learn it and excell at it like Faulk) but there is no way he gets used there this season except in esoteric packages.

A more realistic possibility is seeing Brady lined up in shotgun with Faulk and Edelman as split backs. But even then I would expect Edelman to immediately go into motion or run a route at the snap.

cmasspatsfan

I could see them running some WR reverses with hin in the game, with his speed that could go for a big gain.

Fencer

Well argued.

And I'm one of the ones who's noted that about Brady's injury.

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"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

AzPatsFan

Auditioning Edelman as the eventual Faulk successor is really what is or should be being asked. He is not a full time runner, just like Faulk and Meggett before him, were not.

Ironically, it should also be easier to ask this question as the scouting on his collegiate career should answer that well, whereas his abilities as a WR were completely unknown, and merely an astute scouting projection.

Plus don't forget that Kevin did not just emerge magically as a great 3rd down runner/receiver/blitz-pickup-blocker. He evolved into that, after several years with Belichick's instruction, while "finding his role". Kevin was a classical, shifty, HB star in the SEC, more quick than fast. He wasn't fast enough in the NFL, and had a tendency to fumble, or have y'all forgotten that too? He also was not called on to blitz-block while setting SEC rushing records, some of which still stand. He had to learn how.

How dangerous as a running QB was Edelman at Kent State? The scouting reports and records should say. I know he already brings a new dimension to the proposed role; he should be dangerous with HB pass option, as a former QB. That is something neither Faulk nor Meggett did.

So who has the Kent State scouting on Edelman?