rookBoston
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
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I was watching film of the preseason game against the Saints, and there was a shot of Edelman on the sidelines, and I was thinking "who's that guy?". At first I thought maybe it was one of the TEs, Tyler Urban maybe. No, turns out it was our QB turned WR turned PR turned S. Edelman looks like he grew up in the offseason. He's bigger, leaner. I was shocked to see him.
Last year
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2011/football/nfl/11/01/julian.edelman.ap/julian-edelman.jpg
This year
http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/20120730/e9e6aa_jedelman73012.jpg
Hell, that's some off-season workout. He's starting to look like... dare I say it... Wes Welker. Edelman won one of the off-season awards, which seems to confirm. Also, I wonder if his brush with the law (was it last year?) might not have shocked some reality into him. With his contract year looking him in the face, and the opportunity to leapfrog some declining veterans to earn a role on the offense, I think he could be in for a big year. He's obviously putting in the time.
Against the Saints, Edelman, Stallworth and Gaffney were running with the 2s, but Edelman was the one getting most the looks. The commentators called one of his receptions, saying "Welker sure knows how to work that part of the field". It was Edelman.
Short of it: Edelman is my sleeper pick for breakthru player in 2012. Between him and Cunningham, I think fans will be pleased and surprised at the production from players we thought we knew. Really, the biggest challenge for Edelman is the fact that he's playing directly behind a Franchise Tagged $9.5MM player on the depth chart who has pretty much defined the ideal at the position.
Last year
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2011/football/nfl/11/01/julian.edelman.ap/julian-edelman.jpg
This year
http://multimedia.heraldinteractive.com/images/20120730/e9e6aa_jedelman73012.jpg
Hell, that's some off-season workout. He's starting to look like... dare I say it... Wes Welker. Edelman won one of the off-season awards, which seems to confirm. Also, I wonder if his brush with the law (was it last year?) might not have shocked some reality into him. With his contract year looking him in the face, and the opportunity to leapfrog some declining veterans to earn a role on the offense, I think he could be in for a big year. He's obviously putting in the time.
Against the Saints, Edelman, Stallworth and Gaffney were running with the 2s, but Edelman was the one getting most the looks. The commentators called one of his receptions, saying "Welker sure knows how to work that part of the field". It was Edelman.
Short of it: Edelman is my sleeper pick for breakthru player in 2012. Between him and Cunningham, I think fans will be pleased and surprised at the production from players we thought we knew. Really, the biggest challenge for Edelman is the fact that he's playing directly behind a Franchise Tagged $9.5MM player on the depth chart who has pretty much defined the ideal at the position.