Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have lost a key piece of their roster for the entire 2017 season.
This past Friday, wide receiver Julian Edelman went down with a non-contact injury that immediately looked serious. And a few hours later, New England’s worst fears were confirmed. The veteran receiver tore his ACL and will miss the entire campaign. On the surface, it does not look like a big loss considering how deep the Patriots are. But Edelman was a key member of the offense, even if the numbers said otherwise.
If we take a look at Edelman’s numbers throughout the years, we can see he is a very consistent receiver. But is he the go-to guy in the Patriots’ roster? There were times when Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski, or other unsung hero – Chris Hogan last season, for instance – emerge as a viable threat on any given game. However, Edelman has built a rapport with Brady that no other receiver on the roster has.
And if we mention the consistency on his game, it’s also thanks to the trust he has with Brady. After all, Edelman has led the team in targets in three of the last four seasons. He even led all wide receivers in targets in 2015 despite missing seven games.
For what is worth, Edelman finished the past season with 98 receptions and 1,106 yards, but only three touchdowns. He also averaged 11.3 yards per catch. So there is no question his absence will hurt the team’s passing game considerably. He is, after all, Brady’s preferred target.
In fact, Brady himself spoke after it was confirmed that Edelman will miss the entire season. And he said that the team will “have to find a different way” to move the ball this year. But trust me – the Patriots will be fine. Not only because they are the reigning Super Bowl champions. It’s because their offense will work with or without Edelman. They have a lot of depth at the position.
Hogan, Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell all have experience with Brady. Brandin Cooks was acquired to bring a somewhat different look to the wide receiving corps. There’s also Gronkowski, who can act as Brady’s security blanket when things get tough. But we are talking about the best QB of all-time. Does he really need a security blanket? As long as he’s healthy, the Patriots will be fine.
So yes, Edelman’s absence will be a big blow. But the Patriots remain the favorites to win the AFC and get to the Super Bowl once again. And in the meantime, their fans can be sure Brady and Bill Belichick will find a way to mask Edelman’s absence in the passing game. After all, that’s what they do and why they have been so successful over the last few years.