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Julian Edelman

I will always be your #1 - Brady reminds Edelman of bromance as Cam signs in New England

Newton, the NFL MVP in 2015, could soon be the starting quarterback for the Patriots after reportedly inking a one-year deal with New England following his release by the Carolina Panthers in March.

Having battled shoulder and foot issues in his final two seasons with the Panthers, there is doubt as to whether he can recapture his best. 

However, if healthy, Newton will be regarded as the favourite to take the reins of the offense from Brady following his departure for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, with 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham having previously been seen as the presumptive 2020 starter.

Brady's rapport with wide receiver Edelman was crucial to three of New England's six championships, with the latter named MVP of their Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams at the end of the 2018 season.

In an Instagram post featuring a mocked-up image of Edelman celebrating with Newton in Patriots uniforms, the wideout expressed excitement at the former Panther's arrival.

Brady replied, writing: "I will always be your #1."

Given the success the two enjoyed together, Brady's claim may be correct, but he could soon have some competition if Newton returns to peak form in Foxborough.

Julian Edelman offers to take DeSean Jackson to Holocaust Museum

Jackson apologised for a series of offensive posts made from his Instagram account over the weekend - including one with a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler - with the Eagles calling their player's messages "offensive, harmful and absolutely appalling".

Three-time Pro Bowler Jackson said he had "unintentionally hurt the Jewish community" and vowed to "educate myself".

New England Patriots wide receiver Edelman, who is Jewish, has now addressed Jackson's comments and offered him a deal to learn more about his community.

"I know he said some ugly things but I do see an opportunity to have a conversation," Edelman said in a video posted on his social media channels.

"I'm proud of my Jewish heritage and for me it's not just about religion, it's about community and culture as well. I'm unusual because I didn't identify as Jewish until later in my life. Whenever I encountered hatred, it never really felt like it was aimed at me.

"It was only after I was part of this community that I learned how destructive hate is. Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred, it's rooted in ignorance and fear."

Edelman, a three-time Super Bowl champion, went on to say he was subjected to anti-Semitic abuse in 2011 - two years after he entered the NFL.

"There's no room for anti-Semitism in this world," he added.

"Even though we're talking about anti-Semitism, I don't want to distract from how important the Black Lives Matter movement is and how we need to stay behind it.

"I think the black and Jewish communities have a lot of similarities. One, an unfortunate similarity, is that they are both attacked by the ignorant and the hateful.

"It's really hard to see the challenges a community can face when you're not part of it so what we need to do is we need to listen, learn and act. We need to have those uncomfortable conversations if we're going to have real change.

"So, to that end, DeSean, let's do a deal. How about we go to [Washington] DC and I take you to the Holocaust Museum? And then you take me to the Museum of African American History and Culture? Afterwards, we grab some burgers and we have those uncomfortable conversations."

Pats WR Julian Edelman arrested for jumping on car

The New England Patriots wide receiver featured in the defending Super Bowl champions' shock Wild Card round defeat to the Tennessee Titans last week.

With the Patriots' season over, Edelman was in Los Angeles County while the Titans stunned the Baltimore Ravens, the AFC's top seed.

Edelman caused damage to a car after climbing onto the vehicle and will now appear in court in April after he was released on a citation.

"On Saturday, January 11, 2020, at approximately 9:00pm, Beverly Hills Police arrested Julian Edelman for vandalism after he jumped onto a driver's vehicle causing damage," the department said in a statement released to Omnisport.

"The vandalism occurred in the 200 block of North Beverly Drive.

"Edelman was released on a citation and scheduled to appear at the Airport Courthouse on April 13, 2020."

Edelman, a three-time champion with the Patriots, was the MVP in last season's Super Bowl LIII.

The 33-year-old played in each of New England's 16 regular season games in 2019, starting 13 times and scoring six touchdowns.

However, Edelman looked out of sorts heading into the surprise loss to Tennessee and is reportedly set for surgery in the offseason after battling injuries throughout the campaign.

Tom Brady: Recalling the NFL draft's great steals 20 years after Pats took QB

With the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, New England selected Tom Brady, quarterback from the University of Michigan.

The rest is history. Six Super Bowl wins, nine AFC titles. It was a draft pick that altered the entire NFL, and it was all the more remarkable because sixth-round selections usually face a fight just to make the team.

However, sometimes players, like Brady, slip through the cracks in the draft process and a late-round diamond can be unearthed.

On the 20th anniversary of Brady's selection, we look at some of the best late-round picks in recent memory.

 

JULIAN EDELMAN - SEVENTH ROUND, 2009

Turns out the Patriots are good at this drafting lark and Brady is not the only late-round gem they have found.

Bill Belichick went to Kent State in 2009 to work out their quarterback Edelman, who had never run routes or caught passes before.

Edelman's pure potential intrigued Belichick, though, and he proved a shrewd seventh-round selection, initially as a punt returner and later as a wideout.

Brady's favourite target in his last few years in New England was instrumental in their Super Bowl LIII win, being named the game's MVP after making 10 catches for 141 yards.

 

KAM CHANCELLOR - FIFTH ROUND, 2010

Chancellor changed positions three times in four years in college and the Seattle Seahawks had already drafted one safety in first-rounder Earl Thomas when they selected the bruising Virginia Tech defensive back in the fifth.

The two would go on to form the heart of the 'Legion of Boom', one of the greatest defensive backfields of all time and a key reason why Seattle made two Super Bowls in back-to-back seasons.

Chancellor only spent eight seasons in the league and retired at 30 due to a neck injury, but the tone-setter of that great Seattle D was voted to four Pro Bowls.

 

ANTONIO BROWN - SIXTH ROUND, 2010

Brown wears the number 84 because 8 x 4 = 32 and 32 teams ignored him until the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed the former Central Michigan receiver with the 195th overall pick a decade ago.

The pre-draft reports suggested he was slow, lacked size, had character concerns and didn't play elite competition in college.

Brown has since amassed 11,263 receiving yards and 75 touchdowns and was arguably the NFL's best receiver of the 2010s.

He remains out of the league today, though, with those character concerns rearing their head and ending short spells with the Oakland Raiders and Patriots last season.

 

RICHARD SHERMAN - FIFTH ROUND, 2011

The year after selecting Thomas and Chancellor, Seattle drafted K.J. Wright in the fourth round and cornerback Sherman in the fifth in another impressive haul.

Sherman, who started life at Stanford as a wide receiver before converting to corner, was the 34th defensive back selected in 2011, which made him "livid" and provided a sizeable chip for his shoulder.

Since then? Just the five Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pros, one Super Bowl ring (and another two appearances) and a spot on the NFL's All-Decade team of the 2010s.

 

GEORGE KITTLE - FIFTH ROUND, 2017

Do-it-all tight ends who are mismatch nightmares have been en vogue ever since Rob Gronkowski took the NFL by storm, and yet everyone passed on Kittle until the San Francisco 49ers wrote down his name for the 146th pick.

In his best season at Iowa, Kittle had 314 receiving yards. Last year he had his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL having broken the record for tight ends with 1,377 yards in 2018.

Thanks to Kittle, Iowa tight ends are being taken more seriously too as T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant were both drafted in the first round last year.

Ultimate competitor' Edelman brings stunning Patriots career to an end

Edelman, a seventh-round pick in 2009, played a crucial role in the second half of the Patriots' dynasty, winning three Super Bowl titles with New England.

He was named Super Bowl LIII MVP for his performance in the most recent of the Patriots' championship triumphs, which saw him make 10 catches for 141 yards.

Consistently reliable in the biggest moments, Edelman ranks second in postseason receiving yards (1,442) and receptions (118).

But a knee injury suffered last season has put an end to his storied career, with his retirement announced shortly after the Patriots released him with a failed physical designation.

In a video announcement on Twitter, Edelman said: "I've always said, I'll go until the wheels come off, and they've finally fallen off.

"Due to an injury last year, I'll be making my official announcement of my retirement from football.

"It's a hard decision but the right decision for me and my family. I'm honoured and so proud to be retiring a Patriot."

Head coach Bill Belichick said in a statement: "By any measure of what constitutes an elite NFL career – wins, championships, production – Julian has it all.

"Few players can match Julian's achievements, period, but considering his professional trajectory and longevity, the group is even more select. It is historic.

"This is a tribute to his legendary competitiveness, mental and physical toughness and will to excel. Day in and day out, Julian was always the same: all out.

"Then, in the biggest games and moments, with championships at stake, he reached even greater heights and delivered some of his best, most thrilling performances.

"For all Julian did for our team, what I may appreciate the most is he was the quintessential throwback player.

"He could, and did, do everything – catch, run, throw, block, return, cover and tackle – all with an edge and attitude that would not allow him to fail under any circumstance. Julian Edelman is the ultimate competitor and it was a privilege to coach him."

Edelman finishes his career second in Patriots history with 620 receptions, fourth with 6,822 receiving yards and ninth with 36 receiving touchdowns.

He racked up 58 rushing attempts for 413 yards, the most rushing attempts and rushing yards by a receiver in franchise history. Edelman's total of 9,869 all-purpose yards is fourth in team history.