Edelman kept busy with roles

The Patriots' Julian Edelman runs a drill during practice in Indianapolis. The former Kent State QB plays offense, defense, and special teams. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

INDIANAPOLIS -- The seventh-round of the NFL draft is where teams get around to fitting square pegs into round holes. The big names are long gone and the process turns into well-researched guesswork at a lesser cost and with lesser risk.

So when the New England Patriots made Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman the 232nd draftee in the spring of 2009 no eyebrows were raised because few eyes were still paying attention.

If we know anything by now it is that Pats coach Bill Belichick is always paying attention.

Edelman started seven games and appeared in 11 as a rookie receiver in '09 and made 37 catches. Eight of them, worth 98 yards, came in his very first start. In 2010, his duties shifted more into kick and punt returns and he has continued in that role -- 12 kickoff returns for an average of 23.7 yards and 28 punt returns for an average of 10.6 yards -- while occasionally lining up as the slot receiver this season.

But Belichick wasn't done with him.

The Patriots had lost back-to-back games against the Steelers and Giants heading into a November contest against the Jets with an injury-riddled and not particularly good (as in semi-dreadful) defensive backfield. Edelman was sitting at his locker when he looked up and saw Belichick standing next to him.

"Coach told me that I would be in a defensive meeting that day and that's what we did," Edelman said. "You're not going to say no to an opportunity to help the team win. That's what you're here for. That's what I like doing."

Belichick suggested he would be used in "situational defense," sometimes as a safety and sometimes as the fifth back, and Edelman has turned those situations into 13 tackles and five assists. His highlight-reel moment was an open-field tackle of Philadelphia quarterback Vince Young to save a touchdown.

By the way, the Patriots beat the Jets on Nov. 13 and haven't lost since, bringing a 10-game winning streak into Sunday's Super Bowl rematch against the Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Just saying.

"He's good," Pats safety Patrick Chung said of Edelman. "He has the quickness, he's smart, he has good hands, and he's tough, he's physical. That's all the intangibles of a good player. I have no worries about Julian back there."

The only worry may be Edelman finding time to attend all the meetings -- offense, defense, and special teams -- and watch all the film necessary to be a part of all three units.

"It's definitely been a roller coaster," the former Mid-American Conference player said. "But, with an opportunity to help the team win, you're not going to complain. I'm excited to be a part of this team."

He was a big part of the AFC title game against Baltimore when he was on the field for 54 plays, evenly split between offense and defense.

In his three years with the Patriots, Edelman has rushed the ball, caught it, returned it, and defended it. But the former quarterback, who passed for upwards of 5,000 yards and owns Kent's total offense record, has not been called upon to throw it.

Of course, with Tom Brady at the helm -- Edelman calls him "the mastermind" -- there is rarely the need for a trick play. Still, you never know with Belichick, who once turned linebacker Mike Vrabel into a fullback for a memorable Super Bowl performance. So, maybe Sunday…

"Julian will be ready to go on everything, as he always is," Belichick said Wednesday. "Based on game plan and how it goes, we'll see how that all turns out. But he will be ready for all three phases."

He can always rest later.

Contact Blade sports columnist Dave Hackenberg at: dhack@theblade.com or 419-724-6398.