New England Patriots: 3 bold predictions for Julian Edelman in 2019
An 80-catch season
The only thing stopping Julian Edelman from catching more than 80 balls from Tom Brady in 2019 will be that thumb injury mentioned in the previous slide.
The Super Bowl LIII MVP caught 74 passes in just 12 games in 2018 and he really wasn’t himself until midway through the season.
Given the fact that Rob Gronkowski and Josh Gordon also shared the field, those were big time numbers for Edelman who was working his way back from a season-ending torn ACL.
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Without Gronkowski, the importance of Edelman will be magnified in 2019. Eventually, 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry will emerge as another factor in the passing game. Until that happens, opposing defenses will have a tough time stopping the Brady-to-Edelman duo.
While 80 catches seem high for a player his age, Julian Edelman is not a typical player. Like his buddy Tom Brady, he seems to just get better with age. It is not just the physical part of his game that will have him competing at a high level, it is his knowledge of the game and ability to be at the right place at the right time.
In 2019, Edelman will show exactly why he was voted a top 100 player in the NFL.