Julian Edelman has been a major topic with the Patriots post-Tom Brady with how he'll handle not having his former quarterback and good friend on the team.
According to one player who spoke to NFL Media's Mike Giardi, Edelman is still very motivated.
"Julian is Julian," the player said to Giardi. "He hates excuses. He hates to lose. He's already got the red ass about this season. People thinking we're no good and (that) he's just a product of Brady."
Giardi joined Dale & Keefe Monday and expanded on the comments about Edelman, as well as other veterans mindsets heading into the 2020 season.
"There's been a lot of discussion around him, which is another reason why I wanted to talk to some people in addition to the more important stuff we were doing, but the football stuff, (he's) been very involved in the throwing sessions, very involved with the other receivers and getting them comfortable with the playbook and the system," Giardi said, "Damiere Byrd has been working out and he has been helping Byrd and obviously he has taken Gunner Olszewski under his wing. He loves that kid. Gunner has been part of this as well.
"But, I think that quote really jumped out. I think you started to hear it right after Brady left from players, 'I guess well everyone says we're no good now.' I think you're getting the leaders of this team, that is a theme they are going to latch on to because they look around and say, 'Devin McCourty is a damn good player and Stephon Gilmore is the Defensive Player of the Year. And Edelman caught 100 passes last year, and on and on it goes and you're telling us we didn't have anything to do with this?'
"I think he very much wants to prove, a lot of them, that narrative is very much false and 'there is a lot of talent still here and go ahead, right us off. You're just being a fool if you do that because we know what we have in this room.' I think he has been the guy, at least from talking to people, that has really latched on to that motivation and that narrative and is trying to run with it."
As of now, the Patriots' over/under set by many sportsbooks is nine wins in 2020.
