Why is Edelman still labeled a slot receiver?

Unless I'm crazy the guy is on the outside more often than not. Really doesn't play the Wes Welker role anymore. I keep seeing this repeated everywhere and I'm surprised people still think this.

Because he's short and white?

Minitron!

Read a stat somewhere comparing receivers recently that said he was in the slot on 40% of his snaps this year - so yeah, he's on the outside more often than not. But I guess you're still a "slot receiver" when you have a pretty high volume of plays from the slot, though I would contend that a guy like Randall Cobb (I think) plays a similar % of plays from the slot, yet isn't labeled the same.

I guess it's a matter of Edelman basically replacing Welker, and Welker was a slot receiver, therefore Edelman is too. Though really, Amendola has really been the slot receiver replacement, but isn't used as much.

Hell, Gronk is in the slot plenty. Is he a slot receiver?

Wonder if it is just a salary issue. If we call him a slot we can pay him less.

Most pass catchers in this offense have to learn every position just to get on the field. That's just one reason why it's so complex to learn New Englands offense. Edelman is a pretty versatile guy, but if we are just being honest here, the offense is at it's best when a larger more athletic reviever is outside and the quicker smaller reviever in the slot. He's best in the slot but is very competent at the X or Z.

New England Pride said:

Most pass catchers in this offense have to learn every position just to get on the field. That's just one reason why it's so complex to learn New Englands offense. Edelman is a pretty versatile guy, but if we are just being honest here, the offense is at it's best when a larger more athletic reviever is outside and the quicker smaller reviever in the slot. He's best in the slot but is very competent at the X or Z.

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Eh idk about that, Edelman is a pretty damn good outside wide out. If a guy like Dobson develops to the outside then they could move him inside when they go 3 wide outs.

Because of lazy stereotyping.

Froob said:

Eh idk about that, Edelman is a pretty damn good outside wide out. If a guy like Dobson develops to the outside then they could move him inside when they go 3 wide outs.

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I respect that opinion and mostly agree with it. The only place I differ is that I think an outside weapon should be a "Go up and get it" type of guy.

It's just laziness by the public/media, just like "Gronk is always injured" despite the fact that he played in every game 3 out of 5 years in the league, or "Brady has a weak arm" even though he had the best fastball in the NFL in his prime.

Did the term "slot receiver" even exist prior to Troy Brown's emergence as Brady's quick-strike binky?

New England Pride said:

I respect that opinion and mostly agree with it. The only place I differ is that I think an outside weapon should be a "Go up and get it" type of guy.

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I think LaFell and Edelman complement either other perfectly. Not sure there's a wide out in the league who gets open as fast as Edelman. He's sooooo valuable because even when Brady has no time to throw he can get it to Edelman.

Welker was called a slot receiver when he had over 100 catches.

Tony2046 said:

Wonder if it is just a salary issue. If we call him a slot we can pay him less.

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The CBA makes no such distinction. The difference between "slot" and "wide" is perceptual.

ctpatsfan77 said:

The CBA makes no such distinction. The difference between "slot" and "wide" is perceptual.

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Apparently it's perceptual except when it comes to contract negotiations.

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...oney-will-randall-cobb-command-this-offseason

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...uz-saved-the-packers-millions-on-randall-cobb

"The 2013 offseason established a clear delineation between outside receivers and slot receivers. Those who line up on the outside and open up the middle of the field are getting paid handsomely; those who do their work from the slot haven't.Mike Wallace, a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers with a career yards per reception average of 17.2, garnered a 5-year, $60 million contract from theMiami Dolphins.

On the other side is Wes Welker, the model for slot receivers in today's NFL. No receiver in NFL history has more receptions over a six-year span than Welker. Yet, the Denver Broncos will only pay him $12 million over the next two seasons. Welker is five years older than Wallace, but that alone doesn't account for the $48 million difference in contract value. Rather, it's the perception that slot receivers aren't valuable enough to warrant large investments."

He really likes Foxwoods?

Tony2046 said:

On the other side is Wes Welker, the model for slot receivers in today's NFL. No receiver in NFL history has more receptions over a six-year span than Welker. Yet, the Denver Broncos will only pay him $12 million over the next two seasons. Welker is five years older than Wallace, but that alone doesn't account for the $48 million difference in contract value. Rather, it's the perception that slot receivers aren't valuable enough to warrant large investments."

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My point stands that the CBA makes no distinction between slot WRs and "regular" WRs. How teams perceive the relative values of WRs are up to them.

Mack Herron said:

Because he's short and white?

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Honestly I was going to post that verbatim. White guys are scrappy even when they're tremendous athletes like Julian. Opposite is said of black guys. No nuance, no analysis.

ctpatsfan77 said:

My point stands that the CBA makes no distinction between slot WRs and "regular" WRs. How teams perceive the relative values of WRs are up to them.

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I understand and agree with your stand as far as the CBA goes but the question was why is Edelman still considered a slot receiver and I thought that it might have something to do with pay scales. The perception becomes reality when their is a clear discrepancy between Slot and Wide Receiver contracts. I personally consider Edelman our most reliable receiver on the team and has more value in our system than most number one receivers on other teams.

Call him anything you want as long as it ends with SB Champion.