Patriots Discussing Contract with Julian Edelman

According to Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN, the Patriots have begun preliminary talks of a new contract with free agent wide receiver Julian Edelman. This is a large first step in bringing back last year's top receiver and providing some semblance of continuity on the field.

Edelman quickly became Tom Brady's favorite target in 2013, even though the team tried to push Danny Amendola on the field early and often. However, he became too important to ignore and the coaches soon let the offense ride on Edelman's shoulders- and he carried them pretty far.

He's not an elite receiver, nor is he above being replaced. But his rapport with Brady is undeniable and needs to be highlighted and encouraged as the team moves forward.

Edelman becomes a free agent at 4pm on March 11th, so the quicker the Patriots move, the better. He likely won't be breaking any banks and he knows that he owes a lot of his success to the Patriots offensive system and to Tom Brady.

Let's hope the Patriots lock him up soon.