The New England Patriots have actually been scrambling this offseason, which is something we are not used to seeing from the six-time Super Bowl champions.
The Patriots have been scrambling so much, as a matter of fact, that they did something they hadn't done in over two decades, selecting a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft by taking Arizona State's N'Keal Harry.
Why?
Well, because New England has lost a good chunk of production in the passing game over the last several months, as tight end Rob Gronkowski retired and wide outs Cordarrelle Patterson and Chris Hogan both departed via free agency.
In addition, receiver Josh Gordon is serving an indefinite suspension.
The Pats have tried to patch up the holes by signing veteran receivers Demaryius Thomas and Dontrelle Inman, but Thomas is coming off of a torn Achilles and Inman caught just 28 passes with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. They've also brought back tight end Ben Watson, who is now 38 years old and is no Gronk.
That essentially leaves Tom Brady will just one reliable option, and that's Julian Edelman.
Edelman took home Super Bowl MVP honors in February after hauling in 10 receptions for 141 yards, and on the regular season overall, he snared 74 balls for 850 yards and six touchdowns.
He is not going to blow anyone away with his speed, but his precise route-running, sure hands, and veteran savvy makes him one of the most dependable wide outs in football, and it also makes him an absolutely vital piece in the Patriots' offense.
Edelman should be a Fantasy Football owner's dream in 2019, as he will surely receive the bulk of the targets from Brady in the aerial attack.
But putting Fantasy Football aside, let's focus on just what Edelman means to New England as a whole.
Basically, the 33-year-old is absolutely everything to the Pats going into this season. Sure, Brady is the best player on the team, but he still needs some receivers to throw to, and Edelman is the only one he can trust at the moment.
Maybe Harry will have a great rookie year, and maybe one of Thomas or Inman will emerge as a legitimate threat, but the fact of the matter is that they are all huge question marks.
The only constant is Edelman, who has been a fixture in the Patriots' offense ever since 2013 and has become the security blanket that Gronkowski once was.
That's the thing: Edelman is not only going to have to serve as Brady's No. 1 threat, but he is also going to have to be the guy who moves the chains on third down. He will be the guy who Brady looks for in checkdown situations. He will be the guy who draws all of the attention from the defense and opens up players like running back James White, who is a fine pass-catcher in his own right.
You can go around the league, and you will have a difficult time finding more than a handful of receivers who are as important to their respective offenses as Edelman is to his.
Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen, as this also speaks to the Patriots' concerning lack of depth at the receiver position, but one thing is for sure: Brady knows he can count on Edelman, and so does Bill Belichick.
If New England is going to make another Super Bowl run, you can bet that Edelman will be at the center of it.
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