The Facts: Edelman is going to try and gut out another season with a chronically troubled knee. The question in the coming months is what the Patriots will ultimately choose to do with him, after adding two potential starters in free agency and perhaps another soon via the draft. According to a source familiar with Edelman’s situation, it’s doubtful he will be able to play the entire 2021 season.

Diehards Line: In case you haven't been paying attention, the knee has already hampered him for the better part of two years. While surgery can provide temporary relief, nothing can solve the underlying problem, a source told Herald staffer Karen Guregian. That doesn’t mean Edelman won’t try to suit up, but if you’re the Patriots, how do you keep a soon to be 35-year-old receiver with a bad knee that will eventually sideline him again? So should the Patriots simply let him go, and move on without their tone-setter at receiver? It’s not an easy call. Edelman still has one year left on a deal that would pay him a base salary of $2.8 million, along with a cap hit of $6.1 million, according to Over The Cap. If Edelman is traded or released, the Patriots would be on the hook for roughly $2.6 million of that, freeing up about $3.5 million in cap space. That will also weigh into the team’s decision going forward, as Edelman tries to once again navigate through the injury.