Julian Edelman Injury Update: Patriots Receiver Returns to Practice

The New England Patriots received a major boost to their receiving corps on Thursday afternoon, with wide receiver Julian Edelman returning to practice.

Today is Edelman’s first time practicing all camp as he continued to recover from a nagging foot injury that ended his 2012 season. The move means that Edelman has been removed from the Active/PUP list.

It will be interesting to see how Edelman’s return will affect the wide receiver depth chart. In his absence, second round draft choice Aaron Dobson has seen the majority of the reps as the team’s #2 wide receiver opposite Danny Amendola. Fellow rookies Josh Boyce and Kenbrell Thompkins have also figured into the mix.

With Edelman’s versatility and experience, it’s not hard to think that he can find a way to carve out a role for himself on this team for 2013. He’s not quite a lock to make the roster, but he’s close, and he has a chance to earn himself a starting job with a strong training camp.