By Jordan Long
New England could be missing Julian Edelman for the first 4 games of the NFL season. He is facing a four game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Edelman is appealing the decision.
The Patriots were without Edelman all season last year because of a torn ACL. Despite this loss on offense, Brady was able to toss the ball to Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks, and Chris Hogan helping them reach the Super Bowl.
This offseason the wide receiver core was weakened. The Patriots allowed Amendola to sign with the Miami Dolphins. They also traded Brandin Cooks to the L.A. Rams. These are two dangerous receivers Brady relied on.
The Patriots were hoping Edelman would not only be healthy, but play a full season to help the receiving core. He was going to take the pressure off of Chris Hogan and Jordan Matthews to catch the football and gain yards, lining up opposite Chris Hogan. That is not possible if his suspension is not overturned.
If Edelman has to sit the 4 games, the Patriots are going to be fine. They have Tom Brady at quarterback who won’t turn the ball over and force the football into double coverage. He can still look for tight end Rob Gronkowski who is a match up nightmare for defenses due to his size and speed. Brady must also use the running backs in the passing game. This may confuse the defenses and allows them to gain large chucks of yards
The Patriots have to wait and see if Edelman’s suspension is reversed. Time will tell if that happens.
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