Julian Edelman and Patriots agree to 2-year contract extension

The Patriots and Edelman reached a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the defending Super Bowl champions until after 2019. The deal is reportedly worth up to $15 million, the Edelman remains a bargain. 

Since the departure of Wes Welker after the 2012-2013 season, Edelman has been one of Tom Brady's most reliable targets. Since 2013, he's caught 356 passes, which is the fifth-highest mark in the NFL.

This deal is even bigger for the Patriots when considering the upcoming free agent class of wide receivers is one of the best in recent memory. So the fact that they were able to get Edelman on the cheap again when he could have cashed in after this season cannot be understated. 

Edelman was already enshrined in Patriots lore prior to Super Bowl LI, but his diving catch on the game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter is New England's version of David Tyree/Mario Manningham. It might be the single biggest catch in team history if you don't count Malcolm Butler's interception in Super Bowl XLIX. 

Edelman will be 33 when his deal expires and a lot has been made about his decline coming sooner rather than later given the beating he's taken over the years. Hopefully, with Brandin Cooks in the fold to go along with Edelman, a healthy Gronk, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and Danny Amendola, some of the pressure will be taken off of Edelman. 

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