Eight Homegrown Athletes We'd Like To See Finish Their Careers In Boston

Julian Edelman reportedly agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the New England Patriots on Thursday, increasing the chances of the wide receiver spending his entire career with the organization that drafted him in the seventh round in 2009.

This got us thinking.

Edelman, who is entering his ninth season with the Patriots, isn’t the only athlete we’d like to see stick around Boston. There are several others currently playing for the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins or Celtics who we wouldn’t mind seeing spend their entire career with their original New England-based club.

So, who tops the list?

For the purposes of this exercise, we considered only players originally drafted and/or signed by one of the four major Boston sports teams. In other words, you won’t see guys like Zdeno Chara, Chris Sale or Isaiah Thomas, even though most would agree they’re important cornerstones.

You also won’t see anyone who remains relatively unproven. While guys like Charlie McAvoy, Andrew Benintendi and Jaylen Brown have immense potential, the sample size is just too small. The hope for most organizations is you’re able to obtain, develop and retain talent, but the harsh reality is there are no sure bets, therefore making it difficult to select players who are just starting their careers.

It’s important to note the players we ultimately chose are part of a larger group, as each team has several homegrown players who’ve made an impact or could make an impact in the coming years. Additionally, we’re not dealing with an exact science here. This list takes into account various factors, including track record, reputation, skill and entertainment value.

All told, we’re on to the list…