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The New England Patriots wrapped up the opening month of the season splitting the first four games after a convincing 38-7 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots will head into Week 5 with a boost to their wide receiver core with the return of Julian Edelman after his four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. This development has quarterback excited to have his longtime passing game connection while speaking highly of his physical conditioning upon his return to the practice field, according to CBS Boston.
“He hasn’t changed a bit,” Brady told reporters Monday. “Four weeks off, he looks good.”
This is an encouraging sign for the Patriots as Edelman has stepped into the role of being their most reliable target among the wide receivers over the last few years. He had missed the entire 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason last year and was on pace to be on the field to start the year, but this suspension had put out of action.
When healthy, Edelman has proven to be a highly productive option as he had a strong 2016 campaign where he recorded 98 catches for a career-best 1,106 receiving yards and three touchdowns. This marked the third time that he had more than 90 receptions and the second time with at least 1,000 receiving yards. He should quickly slide into a prominent role in the passing game as the Patriots will likely give him a snap count to ease him in the flow of things given that he hasn't played a game since the preseason.
The return of Edelman should give the passing game a lift that could see him boast a highly-productive trio alongside tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Josh Gordon. In the meantime, the 32-year-old is back in the fold to make an impact offensively that the Patriots strongly need.
