Here's Julian Edelman's Dad's Scouting Report On His Son's Quarterback Skills

New England Patriots fans don’t have much to go on when scouting Julian Edelman as a quarterback, but the wide receiver’s father does.

Now one of the NFL’s most prolific wide receivers, Edelman’s days as a quarterback at Kent State are long forgotten by many. But an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo and the Patriots’ apparent reluctance to sign an emergency backup reportedly opens the door for Edelman to potentially back up rookie Jacoby Brissett when the Houston Texans visit Gillette Stadium on Thursday night.

Should that situation unfold, Frank Edelman knows how his son should be used.

“I’d have Jules drop back to pass, let the play break down and then find the open alley and run,” the elder Edelman told ESPN.com. “I’d have him hand off, run the read option, run some bootlegs, some waggle passes. He’s going to have to move the pocket.

“When Jules throws, I’ll bet you five bucks he throws those little crossing routes to Amendola and Hogan. I promise you he’ll stay between the hashes, and he won’t throw one ball to the outside.”

While Frank is confident about how his son would be utilized, he’s not comfortable with how he’d handle watching it.

“I’d be a nervous wreck watching it,” Frank told ESPN.com. “Jules has been out of that quarterback position for eight years. We’re not really good at winging it — that’s not in our DNA. We’ve got to study for a test. And he’s added muscle for the punishment he has to take as a receiver, so he might have tighter mechanics trying to throw the ball.”

Frank believes Julian’s familiarity with the offense would be a huge help.

“Can Jules do it? Yeah, he could definitely do it. But could he do it well? I’m just not sure,” Edelman said. “I don’t know how many picks he would throw. I’ll say this: He does know the offense like the back of his hand. That wouldn’t be a problem.”

Size always has been a knock against Edelman, despite his receiving production in recent years. Still, his father believes that would be his son’s greatest obstacle as an NFL signal-caller.

“Remember, he’s only (5-foot-10), so he can’t throw over the line of scrimmage.”