Is longtime Patriots slot fixture Julian Edelman in danger of being cut? One insider, ESPN’s Dan Graziano, thinks it’s a distinct possibility.
Edelman, who suited up for just six of 16 games this past season, has been with New England since his arrival as a seventh-round pick in 2009, making him the second-longest-tenured Patriot behind only ace special teamer Matthew Slater. The Super Bowl LIII MVP ranks second in franchise history with 620 career catches, trailing only Wes Welker (672). Well-known for his playoff heroics including his circus catch between three Falcons defenders in New England’s iconic, come-from-behind win in Super Bowl LI, Edelman’s 1,442 receiving yards in the postseason are second to only Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice.
Moving on from Edelman is not a necessity for the Patriots, who find themselves in a relatively favorable cap situation (fourth-most cap space). The 34-year-old’s $6.1 million cap hit for 2021—32nd among NFL wide receivers—also isn’t much of a burden. That being said, the Kent State alum may no longer be a fit in Foxboro with the Patriots embarking on a potentially lengthy rebuild. Based on his cryptic tweets of late, the Pats would probably be doing Edelman a favor by cutting him, clearing the path for the veteran to join former teammates Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay.
Edelman’s release would leave the Patriots with a dangerously thin receiving corps comprised of underachieving first-rounder N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and not much else, though it would also free up $3.44 million in cap space, a precious commodity with this year’s cap shrinking to about $180 million (noticeably down from last year’s $198.2 million).
If the Patriots want to tear it all down, something they arguably should have done last year, New England could save money by throwing in the towel on Marcus Cannon and injury-prone Sony Michel, with Graziano pegging both as potential cap casualties. The Patriots also have decisions to make on franchise-tagged O lineman Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Jason McCourty, James White, Rex Burkhead and Cam Newton, all of whom are unrestricted free agents.
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