Could Julian Edelman be poised for a career year despite the New England Patriots offense entering the 2020 season with a new quarterback?
It seems that Pro Football Focus believes that way, at least. The media outlet named the Patriots receiver among their 32 NFL players most likely to have a bounce-back season.
As you may recall, Edelman actually had a fairly productive 2019 season statistically. The 32-year-old wide out eclipsed both the 1,000-yard and 100-reception mark, but still was clearly impacted by injuries and thus had some uncharacteristic dropped passes.
Here’s what PFF had to say:
What went wrong: Edelman earned a 75.0-plus receiving grade in each of his five seasons in 2013-18, generating a passer rating of 103.5 over that span while averaging 4.8 yards after the catch per reception. Things just didn’t click in New England in 2019, though, and Edelman’s numerous injuries didn’t particularly help the cause. He ended the season with his lowest PFF grade since 2012, dropped 10 passes and managed just 3.3 yards after the catch per reception, 77th among qualifiers. Like most on this list, we expect Edelman to get back to his old self with a clean bill of health. — PFF
ESPN apparently was in agreement, as the Worldwide Leader also named Edelman the Patriots player most likely to have a bounce-back campaign.
New England fans certainly are hoping that will be the case.
