REPORT: Patriots Have Expressed Interest in Keeping Both Edelman and Talib
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While the Patriots didn't place the franchise tag on either Julian Edelman or Aqib Talib, it at least sounds like there's already been an effort to at least attempt to bring both players back in the fold for 2014.
According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, the Patriots have already begin making an effort to keep both players, although it's still early in the process. Howe reports that the Patriots have actively pursued a new deal with Talib, with the two sides having met two weeks ago at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
As for Edelman, Howe writes that the team has expressed a desire to keep the veteran receiver, although he reports that it's unclear if either party has closed in on an actual contract.
Both players' projected salaries were estimated to come in well below the franchise tag numbers for their respected positions, which explains why neither one received the designation on Monday. It remains to be seen if they'll be able to lock up either player before free agency opens on March 11th, which would give the rest of the league the opportunity to have a shot at offering both a deal that may ultimately put them out of the Patriots' price range.
