Excellent Article on Julian Edelman

This writer interviewed both Edelman and his Dad. And, though a lot of what he says we all know anyway, it's good to hear how clear Edelman is that, even though he is having lots of fun, the moment he underperforms, BB will cut him without a backward glance.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...edelman-enjoys-moment-spotlight-espn-magazine

Thanks. Great piece.

Edelman has turned into one of my favorite players. He's like Bruschi, Vrabel, and Troy Brown, he's worked his ass to turn himself into a great football player who makes the big plays when they matter most. He was the centerpiece of that Super Bowl win, Brady deserved his MVP but Edelman made big plays and was leading through sheer determination, can't say enough good things about him.

I'll be honest, I initially thought that Edelman was a poor man's Wes Welker. I always liked him, but thought of him more as a special teams player. I never thought he would be the player that he's become.

I'm very happy that I was wrong about him

It's amazing the player he's developed into. Just today I was looking at an old draft profile of his to compare his 3 cone drill to some of the prospects this year. A short post-draft write-up on him was saying basically he might help us on special teams and since he was a QB at Kent State, we may have brought him in just to have an extra arm for training camp.

Excellent piece! Thanks for sharing!

I see a lot of me in Edelman...you know, the shy, retiring type...never rocks the boat or shoots off his mouth...yup, Julian Edelker for sure...

BB as Tywin Lannister….LOL!

When I go to Pats TC, Edelman always sticks out.. always hustling, and the definition of quickness..

What a find by BB and his braintrust, and how he was developed deserves as much credit..

MitchKumstein said:

I'll be honest, I initially thought that Edelman was a poor man's Wes Welker. I always liked him, but thought of him more as a special teams player. I never thought he would be the player that he's become.

I'm very happy that I was wrong about him

Click to expand...

Edelman's struggles were the result of two things:
(1) His injuries.
(2) The fact that in 2010 the Patriots brought in a slew of players who already were good at catching passes (GRONK, the Prisoner, Branch, Woodhead).

It's worth remembering that by the time he broke his arm against the Titans his rookie year, Edelman was leading all rookies in receptions and the Patriots were working on a 2-WR set that was just him and Welker.

He's come a long way from the guy getting booed for fumbling punts in his first training camp.

I never expected he'd be our best receiver, but there was a moment in his rookie season that I often think about when I see him making a huge play. It was in the 4th quarter of that play-off Baltimore blow-out. We were down 33-14, it was over early, and we were down to 4th and 7. Brady threw short to Edelman, who broke a few tackles, kept his balance even after a huge hit, and willed his way to the first down marker to keep the drive alive. Except there was a penalty nullifying the play. So it became 4th and 17. Brady threw deep and he caught that to convert and keep the drive alive.

It didn't matter in the end. But it was the first time I saw how much fire and determination the kid had, and I think back to that moment a lot when I see him fighting and scrapping, or the way he shook off that huge hit in the Super Bowl, or when he jukes and squeezes through a few guys to gain a few extra yards.

I am a big Edelman fan, I was a big Welker fan, when he left I jumped on Julian Edelman. Of course i will be the big Brady fan but I believe when you love your team being a fan of more than one player shows how much pride you take from your team.

Thanks go sharing this article, it confirms why I like Edelman more than just a Pats player.