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10 NFL players who are regression candidates in 2020

By Nicholas McGee

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans, #22 (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans, #22 (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots looks on during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Julian Edelman #11 of the New England Patriots looks on during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. WR. Julian Edelman. 47. player. Pick Analysis. New England Patriots. 8

The ever-dependable Edelman enjoyed the third 1,000-yard season of his career in 2019. History and the personnel changes on the Patriots offense are against him backing it up with a second successive four-figure yardage total in 2020.

Edelman has never posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his career and will now have to contend with a different quarterback following the departure of Tom Brady, with whom he had a remarkable rapport.

In the final years of Brady’s Patriots career, the combination with Edelman was particularly effective as the greatest quarterback of all time became less proficient and prolific throwing the ball downfield.

Edelman thrived underneath last season with a yards per target average of 7.3. Never in his career has Edelman averaged 8 yards per target.

He could prove a similarly valuable safety net for Jarrett Stidham or Cam Newton. However, regardless of who starts, both Stidham and Newton have the arm to be much more aggressive and successful than Brady in terms of deep passing.

At this stage of his career, Edelman is not a receiver with the skill set to be an integral part of a downfield passing attack. The Patriots will hope for more from N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers while Mohamed Sanu should also take targets away from Edelman.

Tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene were added in the draft and, while none of the passing game options beyond Edelman have demonstrated consistent effectiveness in the Patriots system, their presence, the change at quarterback and the path of his career suggest the odds of him topping 1,000 yards in 2020 are slim.

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