The first round of the 2013 Patriots Flag Football Draft is in the books, and now it's back to me with the first pick in the second. Now I know that I talk a big game here on Pats Pulpit and have no problem letting all of you know just how highly I view my hypothetical team drafting abilities, but in reality I'm actually a pretty nice guy. I don't like seeing my fellow contributors crushed, demoralized, and humiliated on such a grand stage as this. Because of that, I debated long and hard over what to do with my second round pick. After all, this series is supposed to be fun and entertaining for everyone who follows this website, and where's the enjoyment of the contest being over so early on? Wouldn't we all be better off if I gave these poor schlubs a few more days to at least think they have a chance of dethroning me? Should I show these guys mercy by blowing my next selection on some practice squad nobody or backup offensive lineman to maybe give them a fighting chance? It seems like the right thing to do. But just as one of my idols and the greatest movie sensei of all time John Kreese says, mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: a man confronts you, he is the enemy, and an enemy deserves no mercy! So I'm going to keep my foot on the gas here and use my second pick on Julian Edelman.
I'm absolutely ecstatic that Edelman fell to me to kick off the second round, as I would have thought he'd go in the first for sure; if I could Weird Science myself a perfect flag football player, Edelman would be it. In the dog-eat-dog realm of cones, flags, and corporate sponsor jerseys, speed and elusiveness reign supreme, and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone on the Patriots roster with a better combination of the two than Edelman. Obviously, his primary role will be on offense as Tom Brady's go-to receiver: he's shifty, he's elusive, and he's virtually untouchable in open space. He can also run all of the necessary underneath routes that are crucial to master in flag football, and he knows how to get open. Tommy B will have three seconds before he has to start worrying about the pass rush, which will be more than enough time for Edelman to run to space, make his cut, and be where he needs to be for the easy reception. Once he has the ball in his hands, good luck ripping the flag off of him as he bounces, jukes, and breaks ankles all the way down the field. I will also be able to run Edelman out of the backfield as my primary halfback, and while I've never actually seen the man throw a pass, legend has it that Edelman is an accomplished college QB - you can bet that I'll be using that to my advantage. Option throws, Wildcat formations, single wing offenses - yes please. Having Edelman on my team completely opens up my playbook and will allow me to do pretty much anything I want offensively.
On defense, Edelman has almost a year of experience playing defensive back at the NFL level, and I can put him across from any of my opponents' #2 receivers with full confidence. While he may possibly struggle with some of the true receivers he'll be up against, and watching him try to cover Gronk would be absolutely hysterical, I won't be asking him to do any of that that; his role will be more to bump, redirect, and frustrate the guys who are defensive guys first and pass catchers second. Edelman will also be the guy that I can send in on a double corner blitz with McCourty, as he has the short burst speed to get to the quarterback quickly.
The big knock on Edelman is that he's a little smaller and a bit injury-prone, but both of those factors are completely negated in the game of flag football. Edelman's quickness, versatility, and shiftiness makes him the perfect choice to compliment Devin McCourty's size, speed, and overall athleticism. With my first two picks, I have managed to grab the best athlete on the team and the most versatile player on the team - and I still have four more picks to go.
Advantage, Shane.