FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots safety Steve Gregory has his teammate’s back.
Denver Broncos safety Mike Adams said Monday that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman doesn’t have Broncos wideout Wes Welker‘s “ability or quickness” and that he’s a “one-speed guy.”
Gregory disagrees with Adams’ assessment.
“I think Julian has all types of speeds,” Gregory told MassLive.com. “Julian’s just like … he’s a heck of a football player. You’ve seen his production that he’s had this year.
“His quickness, his top-end speed, his ability to go deep, his ability to go short, screen plays. He can do a lot at his position. The other thing with Julian is that he’s a tough guy as well. He’s a football player before he’s a receiver, and you see that with a lot of things he does out on the field on Sundays.”
Edelman has done a nice job replacing Welker this season. The fifth-year pro had 105 catches for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns. Edelman will go against Adams on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.
Gregory didn’t resort to criticizing his former teammate either. The safety had nothing but positives to say about Welker.
“His quickness, his toughness, his competitiveness — the guy has done it at a high level for a long time,” Gregory said. “He understands the game. When he’s on the same page with his quarterback, it makes them jell that much more. Wes is a heck of a football player.”
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