A few thoughts on the news Julian Edelman is getting a new deal:
1. The truth of the matter is that even with all the accolades, it can be easy to occasionally take Edelman for granted, especially this past offseason when it seemed like the team had to address a bunch of other pressing contractual situations. This column from Greg back in February elicited a lot of “Hey, you know what? He’s right! Edelman does deserve a little something extra.” Really, even in this era, it’s hard for a slot receiver to really get paid — the position is wildly undervalued. Then, you take into account the fact the Patriots have churned out a steady stream of slot guys over the years, going all the way back to Troy Brown and including Wes Welker, and Danny Amendola. Frankly, it’s helped them build leverage when it comes to keeping costs down. That could still be the case moving forward, but for now, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, who will turn 33 on Wednesday, remains as steady as ever. It’ll be interesting to see if he makes it to the end of his new deal. If this is a genuine pay bump, it’s a nice reward for getting pounded to pieces over the years.
2. We don’t know all the financial particulars (Miguel has most of them here), but if it is a genuine raise, it should also allow the Patriots to reset their financials when it comes to the receiver position. New England has never been afraid to buck the system, but the idea of having another receiver in that locker room making more than someone like Edelman would have been odd. I mean, we know they pay for future returns and not past performance (just ask Malcolm Butler), and I have faith it would have worked it out. But it would have been strange to see, Adam Humphries, for example, making a sizable amount more than Edelman. Now, they get to massage the numbers a bit when it comes to receivers down the road. There’s also the fact Edelman just barely missed out on a $500,000 bonus last season. I'm not cynical enough to suggest this new deal could at least be part of a makeup, but the bottom line is cash is cash, regardless of how you get it.
