The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots have been aggressive in adding star players to both sides of the ball this offseason, leading to some talk by local and national media that the team might accomplish what the 2007 version couldn't: going 19-0.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman is having none of it. The wide receiver was asked about the undefeated chatter on Saturday by the Boston Herald and said it's "stupid" for an NFL player to even consider the idea.
"You can't worry about what other people say, honestly. I mean, there's no script to this thing. There's no camera. This isn't Hollywood. This is real life," he told the newspaper. "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. 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."
Edelman was speaking after tutoring young players at a football clinic in Danvers, Massachusetts.
The last NFL team to go undefeated was the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who finished 17-0. The Patriots were one victory away from going undefeated in the 2007 season, going undefeated in the regular season and winning their first two playoff games before losing 17-14 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, finishing 18-1.
The Patriots have been one of the most aggressive teams this offseason, strengthening an already loaded roster through trades and free agency. New England traded for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, tight end Dwayne Allen and defensive lineman Kony Ealy, and its signings include cornerback Stephon Gilmore, defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, running back Mike Gillislee and linebacker David Harris.