On the heels of a 25-point comeback to capture their fifth Super Bowl, the Patriots reloaded their roster this offseason. Brandin Cooks, Stephon Gilmore, Kony Ealy and a few other additions have seemingly furthered New England even more ahead of the rest of the pack.
With a roster this talented containing minimal holes, the Patriots have been considered a viable candidate to accomplish a historic feat they nearly pulled off a decade ago: Finish 19-0.
Wideout Julian Edelman, however, believes that the conversation about whether New England can go undefeated in the regular season and postseason is poppycock.
"When you go out and play in the National Football League, it's one of those things where it's even stupid to think about that," Edelman said Saturday at a youth football clinic at Danvers High School, via the Boston Herald. "It's never been done. You don't really want to talk about it. My focus is more on trying to get ready for the season, trying to learn your teammates, form your identity.
"[The 19-0 talk is] stupid. That's it."
Shocker: A response by a Patriots player that embodies Bill Belichick's no-distractions policy.
Edelman had finished his junior campaign as quarterback at Kent State when David Tyree shattered the dreams of all of Massachusetts. Following his conversion to a shifty wideout, he's played a big role in the Patriots' rejuvenation ever since. Since gaining status as one of Tom Brady's favorite targets, the 31-year-old veteran has amassed 356 catches over the past four seasons.
With expectations higher than ever, Edelman refuses to let all of his and the team's past success get into his head.
"You can't worry about what other people say, honestly," Edelman said. "I mean there's no script to this thing. There's no camera. This isn't Hollywood. This is real life."