In the week after their supposed interest in free agent Odell Beckham Jr. was reported as public knowledge, another piece of speculation created more conversation about a big name potentially joining the Patriots. That chatter came courtesy of Deion Branch, who suggested fellow former New England Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman might have the “itch” to return if the Pats were to coax him out of retirement.
Beckham’s now a Ram, and there’s no inclination that Edelman is planning a late-season comeback. But the insinuation underlying both cases is consistent with the belief that the Patriots could use an upgrade in their receiving corps – a belief that’s being gradually debunked on a weekly basis.