Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Julian Edelman was fantastic for the New England Patriots this past season. He was the team’s most productive pass catcher and managed to stay healthy for all 18 games played, yet he should not be re-signed.
The primary reason for this is because of the presence of Danny Amendola. Amendola’s contract prevents him from being a reasonable candidate for release this offseason. That is because the veteran wide receiver is due $2 million guaranteed next season, and general managers hardly ever cut a player that is due guaranteed money.
Nick Caserio could technically re-sign Edelman and carry both wide receivers, but this would not be a wise move. Both men are slot receivers and cannot function on the field unless they line up inside for a four-wide-receiver set (which Josh McDaniels hardly ever uses). Having one of them in the slot and one on the outside is not a viable option.
Plus Edelman is going to want some cash this offseason. He is coming off of career-highs in receptions (105), receiving yards (1,056) and touchdown receptions (six). Not only that, but Edelman is going to be 28 in May, meaning that he is entering the middle of his prime.
However, one must consider a player’s entire resume before signing that player to a long-term contract. That being said, Edelman’s first four seasons in the league were not flashy when it comes to being a wide receiver. He had never played a full season, and his previous career-high in receptions was 37.
Most importantly, the NFL is a business. Caserio already has a slot receiver making guaranteed money in 2014, so giving Edelman a long-term contract would simply be bad business. Caserio is better off giving Amendola the full 2014 season to prove that he can be the go-to-guy at slot receiver.
Philip Alexander is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @steely0906, “like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
