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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

ZANGWILL | Whitlock Opts for Edelman Over Brown, Beckham

ZANGWILL+%7C+Whitlock+Opts+for+Edelman+Over+Brown%2C+Beckham

Debates about the New England Patriots’ key players emerged following the team’s impressive win in the AFC championship. Specifically Jason Whitlock, host of Fox Sports 1 talk show Speak For Yourself, expressed praise for Patriots’ wide receiver Julian Edelman.

“[While watching the game,] it just popped into my head,” Whitlock said. “Julian Edelman is more valuable than all the diva receivers that get all the attention.” Whitlock went on to name Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants as “divas.”

Whitlock described Edelman as clutch, citing impressive playoff performances like his most recent one against the Kansas City Chiefs. Furthermore, he noted Edelman’s reliability as an asset to the Patriots.

Whitlock places greater value on intangibles and behaving “the right way.” Edelman conforms to the old-school personality that the Fox Sports 1 host favors, while the other receivers create too much noise for his liking.

Unfortunately for Whitlock, the stats tell a different story.

“I don’t have to wonder if he is going to be at practice before a must-win game,” Whitlock said.

This comment was directed at Brown, who did not practice leading up to the Steelers last game of the year after an altercation with a teammate, according to a Jan. 1 ESPN report. As for Beckham, Whitlock cited in-game emotional outbreaks and other antics of Beckham’s as qualifications for his diva status.

Brown has been in the NFL since 2010, one year less than Edelman. He has been the pinnacle of consistency, starting 14 or more games the last six seasons. For comparison, Edelman has never started that many games in a season.

Of course, Brown does more than just start.

Brown has eclipsed 100 catches in each of the last six seasons, averaging over 1,500 yards per year. His numbers have been unrivaled by any other receiver during that time span.

Brown has a way of finding the end zone as well, with 74 career touchdowns — more than double the 30 occasions that Edelman has put six points on the board.

Comparisons to Beckham are a little bit tougher, since he has only been in the league for five seasons. That being said, I will spot Edelman the extra five seasons to keep things simple.

Beckham has more yards and touchdowns than Edelman. You read that correctly. In a career that is half as long as Edelman’s, Beckham has managed 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns compared to Edelman’s 5,390 yards and 30 touchdowns. As for receptions, he is not too far behind.

It is important to note the quarterback who throws the ball to each receiver. While Edelman has had the privilege of catching balls from all-time great Tom Brady, Brown and Beckham have not. The argument that the Patriots’ system is not conducive to big receiving numbers does not hold up. In fact, Edelman has benefitted from playing in the slot receiver position.

There is no better proof of this luxury than with Wes Welker, who was Edelman before Edelman. As the Patriots’ slot receiver from 2007 to 2012, Welker caught more passes for more yards and touchdowns than Edelman has since then.

Whitlock’s argument goes beyond stats. He believes that the distractions created by Brown and Beckham are so great that they outweigh their historic production. As an old-school journalist, Whitlock seemingly rejects the young crop of athletes who use Facebook Live and live in the public eye.

He must have forgotten it was Edelman, not Brown or Beckham, who spent the first four games of this season suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Something tells me that would have been mentioned had it been Brown who was suspended.

Although Brown and Beckham have occasional off-the-field issues, their achievements cannot be ignored. Both are on pace to have Hall of Fame careers. Edelman, who Whitlock describes as “reliable,” has been anything but reliable. He has missed large parts of multiple seasons. If anything, Edelman is a replaceable part of a system. Brown and Beckham are systems.

Grant Zangwill is a sophomore in the McDonough School Business. Did I Hear That Right? appears every other Friday.

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