Edelman says Belichick-Kraft meeting at Brady roast was awkward and tense

BOSTON -- As outsiders watching from thousands of miles away via television screens, it was important for most of us to not read too much into body language and facial expressions during the Tom Brady roast on Sunday night. At an event where quite literally everything is a joke, it's probably not worth psychoanalyzing intentions and feelings from the slightly clunky toast shared between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick.

Yet Julian Edelman, who was part of the roast and knows both of his former bosses quite well, is here to do that for us.

Speaking with Drew Bledsoe on the podcast "Game With Names," Edelman described the scene backstage, when Belichick and Kraft cross paths likely for the first time since their joint press conference following the Patriots' "mutual parting of ways" with their head coach.

"Now, pre-show, we're in the green room," Edelman says. "And [bleeping], Bill's opening up. He's having fun. He's talking war stories, we're talking rookie skits, we're talking fun [stuff]. Doing [stuff] we know what Bill's all about, but it was like amplified, because he was excited to see guys because he doesn't have a job anymore. Randy [Moss], Drew, me, [Rob Gronkowski], and we were just chilling in there."

Bledsoe interjected: "And then Kraft walks in."

Bledsoe said his brother was left as the only person still listening to a story Belichick was saying, after several former Patriots left that circle to greet Kraft.

"The tension in that room though could cut [bleeping] glass. I was so awkward," Edelman said. "I was watching Coach, and I tried to give Coach a heads up. I see Kraft walk in, I'm like, 'Coach! [Alert sound]!' You know, like, some locker room [stuff], like '5-0, 5-0.' And of course he didn't [bleeping] see it, and [Kraft] came in and I was just like oh [shoot] this is gonna be fireworks. I just walked away. I didn't want to get in that."

In fairness, many interactions with Belichick can be awkward for participants and observers alike. Yet Edelman described a distinct change in Belichick upon the arrival of Kraft.

Yet according to Bledsoe, Kraft and Belichick were able to get past any initial awkwardness.

"They did break it down, got together for proabably 10 minutes at least, the two of them," Bledsoe said.