Malik Cunningham trying to observe in Julian Edelman’s footsteps as former QB turned receiver

Patriots

“He’s not the quickest man, however he is aware of the right way to get open.”

FOXBOROUGH — Malik Cunningham has his work reduce out for him this coaching camp.

A standout quarterback throughout his time at Louisville, Cunningham signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie this offseason in hopes of carving out a job as a large receiver on New England’s depth chart.

It’s one factor to attempt to earn a spot within the NFL at your tried-and-true place, particularly one as refined as quarterback. But it surely’s one other endeavor completely to be taught a brand new place whereas lining up towards professional competitors.

Fortunately, Cunningham doesn’t have to look very far for assist in the case of his profession trajectory.

If Cunningham hopes to stay within the NFL as a wideout, following one other QB-turned-wideout in Julian Edelman looks as if the fitting course to chart. And on Thursday morning, Cunningham sought some recommendation from the Patriots legend.

“He got here within the coaching room. He instructed me to simply preserve my head down, preserve working, simply continue to learn from the older guys and simply preserve being a sponge with every little thing,” Cunningham stated of Edelman, who was readily available for apply at Gillette Stadium. “You’ll be able to be taught a lot all through the constructing as a receiver, a quarterback, simply studying from the defensive guys and what they’re considering, totally different coverages. Simply selecting their brains. It’s been enjoyable.”

Edelman was as soon as thought-about an extended shot to carve out an everyday function on New England’s depth chart, with the Patriots choosing the Kent State QB within the seventh spherical of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Initially relegated to special-teams play, Edelman’s soccer IQ, drive, and reducing capability allowed him to rapidly push his means up the ladder in Foxborough. The remaining, after all, is historical past.

“He’s not the quickest man, however he is aware of the right way to get open,” Cunningham stated of Edelman. “Simply utilizing leverage primarily based on the defender, and when the ball will get in your arms, simply being a weapon with it. That’s one thing I really feel like I’m accustomed to doing since I’ve been taking part in soccer. Getting the ball in my arms and making defenders miss.”

Talking after Thursday’s apply, Edelman acknowledged that his recommendation to Cunningham is much like the one he shares with each rookie trying to discover an identification up within the NFL ranks.

“Like I inform plenty of these younger guys, what I discovered at a younger age from Scott O’Brien, who was a particular groups guru, he stated, ‘There’s going to be good performs and unhealthy performs, however with each play, there’s a little bit of expertise that you simply acquire,’” Edelman instructed reporters at Gillette Stadium. “So the fellows that may digest that unhealthy play and be taught from that have, it helps them, so I simply sort of defined that to younger guys. And errors are going to be made on a regular basis, you simply can’t make the identical mistake twice. That’s the way you get changed.”

To date, Cunningham has taken on no matter function the Patriots coaches have handed him.

“Since you’re not going to be precisely [Edelman] — he’s one in all a form, simply the kind of participant he’s. I’m simply making an attempt to select totally different stuff from his sport and add it to mine.”