Yes it is very good to see. I still believe that Edelman can be one of the better players of the future, particularly if Welker is not here next year. I do not believe that they are on the same level, but Edelman has certainly proven to be shifty--much like Welker. He is younger, will come much cheaper if/when re-signed, and may be able to be the slot guy of the future.
Yes, there will likely be a dropoff, but that's to be expected as Welker is a very special talent.
One of the keys (as we've all heard) is getting rid of the player a year early, rather than a year too late. This is particularly true when the player is making 10 million dollars a season. Production in the slot may slip, but we have also seen Edelman make the most out of the few chances that he's had, specifically in the playoff game vs BAL in the 2009 season.
Edelman has not shown a great talent in running intermediate routes, therefore he has not produced when given limited opportunities. The same holds true for why he has not gained TB's trust. That situation may be different however, if asked to run quick, shallow routes out of the slot, as he seemed to do just fine in the playoff game.
The point is that I still believe that Edelman is the kind of guy that Belichick likes to have on his team, I still believe that he has more upside than we've seen, and I still believe that he may even take over some of the slot duties next year. Hernandez will likely play a bigger role too, so the duties may be split between the two, but in my opinion I never once saw Edelman "on the bubble" as some here claimed in the offseason.
