New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is the face of the franchise now that tight end Rob Gronkowski joined his buddy Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Julian Edelman's mindset following Rob Gronkowski trade

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 4/22/20

Now that Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up in Tampa Bay, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman must be feeling pretty lonely... right? Well, not exactly.

Although his buddies are off to bigger and better things, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Edelman may not be feeling so bad after all.

Ian Rapoport on Julian Edelman's mindset following Rob Gronkowski/Tom Brady going to Tampa: "For Jules, it got a little different because he's now the face of the franchise. It's crazy, but it's true. ... He's going to be the most well-known and famous player on the Patriots."
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) April 22, 2020

At this point, it's unlikely Bill Belichick trades Edelman... especially considering he's the best receiver New England has at the moment. However, anything can happen.

If the Patriots are going to attempt to tank in order to receive a higher draft pick in 2021, they're well on their way to making that happen.

Although the Patriots went 12-4 last season, and Edelman had 100 receptions for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns, they're not expected to make the playoffs in 2020 with second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham at the helm of the offense.

If Edelman ends up requesting a trade, then the Patriots may be in much deeper waters this coming season.

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