Can Edelman impersonate Welker?
According the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the NFL’s receptions leader missed a playoff game was Mac Speedie of the 1952 Browns. Before him, it was Red Badgro of the 1934 Giants. Sadly, neither is known as the Wally Pipp of the NFL, so history may not work in the Patriots’ favor here. If you had to pick one guy to fill in for a record-setting receiver, a rookie seventh-round pick might not be your first choice. Throw in the fact he was a college quarterback, and the prospect seems even more alarming. A year ago, Julian Edelman wasn’t even among the 330 college players invited to the NFL combine. Yet, Edelman is the Patriots’ best hope for doing an imitation of Welker, who himself went undrafted. In the three games missed by Welker, Edelman averaged seven receptions per game. That would put him on pace for 112 catches over a 16-game season. Only Welker himself had more than that this season. Edelman hauled in 68.5 percent of the passes thrown his way, an impressive rate if not qui
