Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Pats now have at least one wideout familiar to Brady

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

Having an All-Pro quarterback is one thing, but having a receiver who's actually akin to the system he's running is another thing entirely.

Such is the case with New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who signed a new one-year contract with the team Wednesday, according to Mike Garafolo of USA Today.

Edelman is now the only wideout on the Pats' current depth chart who hauled in a pass from Brady last year, as the team has brought in a number of new faces to try to fill the void of Wes Welker and solidify its perimeter presence. (photo: Beth Hart, Flickr)

The seventh-round, 2009 pick has tallied more than 700 receiving for New England in his stint with the team, proving himself a solid asset at times while Welker was sidelined.

Edelman's strength also lies in his special teams contributions, where New England is looking pretty stacked at the moment given the recent signing of Leon Washington. Edelman has returned three punts for touchdowns in his last four years with the team, while Washington has tallied eight kickoff returns in his career.

The deal seems like a win-win for both sides, as New England gets its money's worth for a player with prior injury issues, while Edelman gets paid if he stays healthy. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Wednesday that the monetary details of Edelman's contract are contingent on his health.

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