Report: 'Not A Chance In Hell' Patriots Trade Julian Edelman
BOSTON (CBS) -- When Tom Brady announced his decision to leave the Patriots, there wasn't a ton of shock. There was, however, some immediate concern felt for Julian Edelman, who's unquestionably the No. 1 Brady fan on the planet. Some fans and analysts wondered aloud if the Patriots might look at the 2020 season as a bit of a rebuild and thus might trade Edelman to try to add some draft picks that might help in the future.
According to a new report, though, don't count on anything other than Edelman in a Patriots jersey in 2020.
NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran asked a "league source" about the Edelman trade rumors. That source was definitive with a response: "Not a chance in hell."
Curran said the only potential benefit of trading Edelman anyway would have been a little bit of salary cap relief. The return on a theoretical trade, Curran said, "is not going to yield much in return."
A Thursday discussion between Bill Simmons and Colin Cowherd ignited some chatter of a trade to Detroit, where Matt Patricia has been busy collecting former Patriots. Alas, as of now, there's not much to those rumors.
Edelman is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career at age 33, when he caught 100 passes for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. He led the Patriots in receptions (by 28), receiving yards (by 472), receiving touchdowns (by one), and targets (by 58).
The Patriots will seemingly rely on Edelman to pace the receiving group next year, even with Brady out of the picture and a Jarrett Stidham/Brian Hoyer combination at quarterback.
