New England Patriots: Julian Edelman, Tom Brady’s Favorite Receiver, Signs With Team
The New England Patriots avoided losing Tom Brady’s favorite receiver to free agency for the second year in a row Saturday when they agreed to terms with Julian Edelman, after a breakout season for the 27-year-old wide receiver drafted in the seventh round out of Kent State in 2009.
Terms of the new contract for Edelman were not announced by the Patriots, who have also not confirmed that the deal is complete. But Edelman himself feels secure in his return to New England.
“Foxboro is home,” he tweeted on Saturday. “Excited to be back.”
Foxboro is home. Excited to be back. #grind
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 15, 2014
While future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady is certain to be thrilled that Edelman did not go the way of Wes Welker, Brady’s previous top target who defected to the Denver Broncos before the 2013 season, the Patriots also gave another gift to their team leader — who if defensive captain Vince Wilfork departs as he said he wants to, will be the only player on the 2014 team to have won a Super Bowl with the Patriots.
New England signed 6’3″, 211-pound wide receiver Brandon LaFell from the Carolina Panthers, giving Brady another option in the slot receiver position. LaFell inked a three-year, $11 million deal with the Patriots.
But it was Edelman whose return provides the biggest lift. His 105 catches for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns gave stabilty to an otherwise shaky receiving corps in 2013 and played an indispensable part in getting New England to the AFC title game, where they fell to Welker’s Denver Broncos, missing out on what would have been the sixth Super Bowl appearance in the 12 seasons that Brady and Coach Bill Belichick have anchored the Patriots team.
The season was the biggest of Edelman’s career, who also regularly returns punts for New England.
“The main thing about this year was that I had four years under my belt and ‘could I stay healthy?’ I haven’t been able to stay healthy for a whole year,” Edelman said earlier, explaining his career-best performance. “I was able to stay healthy and then guys get hurt and you’re given an opportunity.”
Edelman had visited with the San Francisco 49ers earlier in the week, so his return to New England was not a foregone conclusion, and capped a big week in the free agent market for Belichick and the Patriots, along with the acquisition of LaFell.
Despite losing a key defensive piece in Aqib Talib, again to the Broncos, the New England Patriots significantly improved their defense with the additions of top free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, as well as another solid pass coverage performer in Brandon Browner, formerly of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
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