The Patriots will be without Julian Edelman the first four games of the 2018 season as the appeal of his four-game suspension was denied on Tuesday.
Of course, the Patriots will need all their receivers to step up in his absence as not one player can replicate his production, but fortunately for them receiver is one of the deepest positions on the roster. A combination of Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell, Jordan Matthews, Phillip Dorsett, Kenny Britt, Braxton Berrios and Riley McCarron should be able to provide Tom Brady what he needs over the first four games.
What may be harder to replace is a punt returner.
Edelman is among one of the most dependable punt returners in the entire league and on the roster the Patriots only have Cyrus Jones, Berrios, McCarron and Patrick Chung as real options, and no one in that group has that much experience. Some might say Cordarrelle Patterson, but he's strictly a kick returner, as he's only returned one punt in his five seasons in the league.
Although Jones has struggled with it in limited reps, he may be the player who has the most to gain from the suspension. If he proves he can handle it during the preseason, it may turn him into a roster lock. As of now, he's competing with several cornerbacks for a roster spot.
It also wouldn't be a surprise to see the Patriots bring in a veteran who has more experience for training camp to add to the competition.
So while many will be looking to how Edelman will be replaced as a receiver, the bigger question is as a punt returner.
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