Julian Edelman weighs in on those Efton Chism comparisons
Edelman said there's a former teammate whose game is more similar to Chism's than his own.
Patriots fans have seen a variation of this story before.
An undersized receiver from a small school makes some noise in training camp and forces a debate on whether or not to keep him on the 53-man roster.
When Julian Edelman burst onto the scene 16 years ago, the Patriots kept him on the roster, and it paid off. The seventh-round pick from Kent State became a three-time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl LIII.
This year, undrafted rookie Efton Chism has been the Patriots’ most productive receiver through two preseason games. Chism hasn’t played in a regular-season game, and there’s no certainty as to whether he’ll make the team, but he has put himself in a pretty good spot so far. While he has a long way to go, he has drawn comparisons to several past Patriots slot receivers, including Edelman, along the way.
Edelman shared his thoughts on the comparisons during a recent interview on NBC Sports Boston.
“Efton Chism reminds me of … I think he reminds me of [Danny Amendola] than he does me,” Edelman said. “The way he runs is a little like that. His playing strength is really impressive that I’ve seen over the last few of weeks.”
“He’s had a hell of a camp. It’s going to be an interesting decision on what to do with these guys in that specific receiver room.”
This week, Amendola told Chris Price, of The Boston Globe, that he grabbed Chism during a visit and tried to quickly pass along as much knowledge as he could.
“I tried to remind him that you need to run every rep, whether it’s a pass play or you’re blocking, or special teams, as fast and as hard as you can,” Amendola said. “If you’re running routes vs. air in drills or in preseason games, you need to go hard every time. Do everything full speed, 100 percent of the time. He said ‘Yes, sir.’ I kept it short and sweet. I just wanted to let him know we’re all watching.”
Amendola said he and Chism share similar traits including toughness, dependability, and knowledge of the playbook. Amendola said he was happy to share a breif conversation with the young receiver.
“His suddenness. His quickness,” Amendola said, in response to a question about what makes Chism’s game stand out. “I love that ability to attack the ball, and show the ball skills. His ability to go get the ball, and how he uses his hands. Also, it feels like he’s tough. He seems like he has a good feel for the game, and the speed of the game isn’t too much for him.”
Chism isn’t expected to play in Thursday’s preseason finale, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. He is the only Patriots receiver with a touchdown catch during the preseason so far. He’s also the only one to top 100 yards.
The undrafted rookie from Eastern Washington was a long shot to make the roster heading into camp, but the odds don’t seem as long anymore.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com