Julian Edelman

When the Patriots traded for Brandin Cooks, I was legitimately concerned about Edelman's role going forward. That was until they extended him for another two years. You can't expect anywhere near the 9.7 targets per game that he's seen over the last four years, but he's obviously part of their plans. He was never a touchdown scorer, so it's hard to rely on him as anything more than a low-upside WR3.

Julian Edelman signs extension with Patriots

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the New England Patriots and wide receiver Julian Edelman have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension.

Fantasy Impact

As NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported earlier in the day Thursday, it was only a matter of time before Edelman and the Patriots struck a deal. It only took a few hours until an agreement was reached. Edelman, 31, is coming off of a 2016 season in which he played a full 16 game slate for the first time since 2013. He accumulated a 98-1,106-3 stat line while averaging 11.3 YPC and 69.1 YPG. Despite the acquisition of Brandin Cooks this offseason, Edelman is still expected to enter the 2017 season as New England's No. 1 receiver, likely due to his existing rapport with quarterback Tom Brady.